


Ashes to Flame

by rayrae118



Series: Under My Skin [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Jim, Dysfunctional Family, Exploration, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Jim Kirk is a genius, Jim Kirk is kind of clueless, Klingons, Past Child Abuse, Post-Star Trek Beyond, Pre-Star Trek Beyond, Star Trek Beyond Spoilers, Tarsus IV, Team as Family, really just twisting canon a little, space travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-08-04 19:38:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 82,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayrae118/pseuds/rayrae118
Summary: Third in the series. After Nero, after Khan, the crew of the Enterprise thought they could pretty much handle anything. Their second five-year mission may put that to the test, with possible new alliances, personal drama, and a monster they all thought had been killed coming back to haunt them once more. My attempt at bringing Star Trek Beyond into the mix!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I finally finished! After I finally started... honestly, it took me over a year to come up with an idea, and once I did, I wrote this thing in about a month. Anyway, enjoy!

 

It was probably a beautiful night full of stars gleaming around the twin moons, but one would never be able to tell through the thick fog that permeated every inch of the planet. If you looked carefully, a low rise building could just barely be seen emerging from the mist.

The prison planet of Elba II was habitable for humans, but only just. A person could breathe, but the presence of methanol in the atmosphere made it difficult, and if one were exposed to the unfiltered air for too long, it could cause lightheadedness, dizziness, and unconsciousness.

It was for that reason that the prison that had been installed on the surface utilized artificial oxygen and enclosed domes; no one who had been sentenced to life in prison on Elba II had ever set foot on the surface outside the large domes that encompassed the prison buildings. 

Working as a guard on this planet was both boring and monotonous. Elba II was for the worst of the worst. The only times prisoners saw the outside of their cell was if they needed medical assistance.

It wasn’t the kind of place anyone would choose to work, if they had any other option. Unfortunately, most of the guards at this particular facility had reached the end of the rope, and had no other options.

Inmate number 3574 had been sentenced to Elba II thirteen months ago. Since then, he had been something of a model prisoner. He ate when he was given a meal, stood against the far wall when guards had to enter his cell, and as far as any of the guards knew, he had yet to say a word. Which was why his sudden collapse was so startling. Rushed to medical, the doctor on duty did his job, and soon pronounced the prisoner fit to return to his cell.

Escorted by two guards, the prisoner shuffled along the corridor, wrists and ankles shackled to inhibit movement. As they passed one hallway and turned down another, the prisoner glanced upwards, eyes seeking out the camera near the ceiling. It swiveled from left to right, and that’s when he made his move.

With a movement almost too fast to track, he swung his shackled hands over one guard’s head, twisting sharply as a large crack echoed in the hallway. The guard dropped to the ground, neck broken.

The second guard barely had time to take a step before the prisoner tripped him, hands making quick work of this one as well.

The prisoner grabbed a key off the guard’s belt and stood up. He used the key to open the utility closet they had stopped outside of, and dragged both guards inside with him. The door clicked closed just as the camera swiveled back around to show an empty hallway.

Inside the closet, the prisoner quickly undressed one guard, replacing his own dully gray outfit with the uniform. Counting silently, he waited three more seconds before leaving the closet, timing it perfectly so that the camera wouldn’t catch his exit. He walked down the hall, glancing up at the camera as he went; making his way to the locked shuttle bay, he used the guard’s access badge to open the door. One more glance up at the nearest camera, and Kodos smirked, satisfied, as he walked through the now open door.

As he fired up a shuttle and lifted off the ground, prison alarms started to blare.

**XXX**

“I think we should get married.”

Carol blinked slowly, startled out of her reading, and glanced up at Jim. “What?” she asked, wondering if she had actually heard him right

Jim looked up as well, setting his PADD down on the sofa. “Married,” he repeated. “We should get married.”

Carol furrowed her brow, setting her own PADD down. “Are you asking me or telling me?” she wondered.

Jim shrugged, shifting slightly in his seat. “Well, we’ve been dating for years, we live together. We’re practically married already, why not make it official?”

Carol blinked slowly, counting to ten in her head to avoid saying anything she might regret later. When she was certain she was calm, she stood up, grabbed her PADD, and turned to face Jim. “Jim, I love you, and I know you sometimes have the problem of engaging your mouth before your brain catches up, so I’m just going to leave now. If and when you decide to come back to me with a real proposal, I’ll be prepared to listen.”

She left quickly, and Jim sat back, confused. What the hell had just happened? How could things have gone so wrong?

He should probably go after her, figure out what this was and how to fix it. He wondered where she would go. Carol had given up her single room a year ago, after they had shipped back out for the start of their second five-year mission. He and Carol had finally submitted a form F287 – notice of personal relationship – to the Admiralty before leaving Earth, around the same time Carol had notified the Residences that she no longer needed her one bedroom apartment and moved in with Jim.

So Carol didn’t have another room on board she could go to.

He really should go after her. But what would he say? Should he apologize? He didn’t even know what he had done wrong. Yeah, going after her tonight was probably not the best idea. He’d give her some time to cool off first, maybe talk to her tomorrow.

With no better plan, Jim disappointedly picked himself up off the couch and headed to bed.

**XXX**

Alpha shift the next day was incredibly tense. The entire crew on the Bridge could tell something was going on. Jim was too alert, too professional. And he rarely glanced in the direction of the tactical station. In the same manner, Carol was sitting too straight in her seat, and her tone had a hard edge to it whenever someone asked her a question. Unless engaged, she didn’t speak at all.

She also didn’t look at Jim once during the entire eight hour shift. It made the entire crew very uncomfortable. They weren’t used to the lack of banter, the lack of friendliness. Jim and Carol’s relationship hadn’t been a secret on the _Enterprise_ since about a week after they had gotten together, so it was very obvious that something bad had happened between them.

Uhura didn’t waste any time in dragging Carol to a private corner of the mess hall once the shift was over. She wanted answers. Jim and Carol were always in sync, always seeming to move in perfect harmony, like extensions of each other. It amazed her and made her wonder if she and Spock could ever be like that – oh, she loved her boyfriend, and had no doubts that they were both in it for the long haul. But she would be the first to admit that sometimes she wondered what was really going on inside her boyfriend’s head. Jim and Carol never seemed to have that issue. Jim wasn’t exactly the kind of guy to share a lot with others, and inside his head was a total mystery, but Carol always seemed to know what was going on there, and always seemed to know what he needed.

Uhura liked that. Jim was one of her best friends, and she was glad he had someone like Carol in his life. So what the hell was going on?

Unfortunately, she was left with more questions than answers, as Carol barely said two words between bites of salad. As soon as she was finished, Carol nodded a silent good bye, and left the mess hall.

Nyota watched her go and sighed, disappointedly.

**XXX**

McCoy waited exactly five minutes before he’d had enough. He spent the day in Medical, so he hadn’t personally witnessed the odd behavior change, but Jim was his best friend. He could tell something was wrong immediately. There had been no lighthearted quip when he showed up at Jim’s door after his shift, and the last five minutes had been spent in silence, both on their PADDs working through paperwork as they ate dinner.

Perhaps most telling though, was that Carol wasn’t there.

“So, you gonna talk or am I going to have to start demanding answers?” the doctor asked, gaze still focused on the PADD in his hands.

Jim glanced up, concentration broken. “What?” he asked.

McCoy rolled his eyes and set his PADD aside. “Whatever’s going on with you, Jim. Something’s bothering you, so out with it. Tell me what’s up.”

Jim bit his lip, suddenly uncertain. “I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. McCoy made a questioning noise, and Jim sighed, slumping in his seat. “Something happened last night. I did something wrong, and I’m not really sure what.”

“Tell me,” McCoy said simply.

Jim shrugged, and told the doctor about his and Carol’s conversation the night before.

McCoy was silent for approximately thirty seconds, before he let out a long breath of air and shook his head resignedly. “You’re an idiot. What the hell were you thinking?”

 Jim raised an eyebrow. “What? I asked her to marry me! And she just threw it back in my face.”

McCoy rolled his eyes and shifted so that he was facing Jim head on. “That wasn’t a proposal, Jim. That was a random comment you made while the both of you were working. It wasn’t romantic at all.” He sighed again. “Jim, I might not be an expert on marriage, but I do have a daughter, and one thing I do know is that girls tend to dream of the proposal and the wedding from a young age. Carol’s probably thought about how she would get asked for years. And you just threw it out there like you were asking her what she wanted for dinner.”

Jim was quiet after that. He looked down, clasping his hands together tightly. When he did finally speak, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I know,” he admitted, sounding defeated. “I probably should have done it better. But Bones, I’m not good at commitment, or expressing my feelings. Carol knows this, you know this. We’ve been together for years, it’s not like I’m thinking we’re going to break up or anything, but…” he let out a sound almost like a growl, and leaned back into the couch, looking up at the ceiling. “Going all out on a proposal just makes it an even bigger deal, and if it becomes that, I’ll just screw it up somehow.”

McCoy blinked, startled. “That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard.” Jim looked over at him, confused, and the doctor reached out and slapped his shoulder lightly. “You’re an idiot, Jim. And I’m not using that as a term of endearment. You love her, she loves you.  If you really want to spend forever with her, then ante up and commit already. You need to make the grand gesture. Show her that you mean it. Because Jim, Carol’s worth more than a throwaway comment. She deserves better.”

Jim nodded, and sat back up, running a hand through his hair. “I know,” he admitted.

McCoy nodded as well, expression understanding though his eyes were hard. “You need to be sure, Jim. When you’re ready to make that step, you’ll be able to give her a real proposal.”

Jim grimaced, not wanting to hear what his friend was saying, but knowing that he was right. “So what about you?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.

McCoy raised an eyebrow. “What about me?” he repeated.

Jim gave him a half smirk. “You and April. You’ve been together just about as long as Carol and I, you telling me you haven’t thought about next steps?”

McCoy rolled his eyes. “Because marriage worked out so well for me the first time around.” Jim just kept looking at him, waiting. After another minute of silence, the doctor sighed. “I’ve thought about it,” he admitted. “Things are going well, and she gets along so well with Joanna.”

“I know,” Jim said consolingly. “Joanna loves her.” He hesitated briefly, wondering if he should tell McCoy about some of the conversations he had had with his unofficial niece. After a moment, he grimaced. “She wants to call April mom, you know.”

McCoy looked up sharply. “What?”

Jim shrugged. “She’s holding back, because she’s not sure how your or April would react, but she sees April as her mother, Bones. So maybe you should follow your own advice.” McCoy looked at him questioningly. Jim grinned. “Ante up and commit already.”

McCoy looked at him for a moment longer, and then smiled ruefully. “I’m planning on it,” he admitted. “But first, I wanted to ask you something.”

Jim tilted his head. “What did you want to ask me?”

McCoy took a deep breath. “Your permission.”

Jim looked confused, frowning slightly. “Huh?”

McCoy shrugged. “I’m an old fashioned Southern gentleman, Jim. Where I come from, you ask the father for permission. I can’t do that, but you’re basically April’s brother. And April sees you the same way. So if I can’t ask her father, the least I could do is ask her brother.”

Jim was speechless for a good thirty seconds, unable to make his brain respond. Finally, he swallowed and nodded slowly. “I’m touched,” he said softly. “And I’m happy for you guys. You make her happy, Bones.” He grinned slightly, a devilish look appearing in his eyes. “I’ll give you permission on one hand – I get to be best man.”

McCoy spluttered for a moment. “What the – damn it Jim, she has to say yes first!”

**XXX**

Three days later, and things between Carol and Jim hadn’t really changed. At least they were talking to each other, though conversation was stilted and more often than not they chose not to communicate unless absolutely necessary when on the Bridge. Carol still hadn’t returned to the Captain’s quarters, though Jim had done some digging and found that she had quietly requisitioned a single room in the guest quarters. Jim had been teaching her a few things about computers, so she was able to bury the request so far down that the quartermaster would never see it. So at least the entire ship wasn’t aware of their issues. It was bad enough that the Bridge crew had started to share looks when they thought Jim wasn’t looking.

His command crew were definitely starting to plan some sort of intervention. Which meant if he wanted to keep this from blowing up in his face, he would need to bite the bullet and talk to Carol.

Tomorrow, maybe.

**XXX**

McCoy was visibly nervous as he passed Joanna a bag of chips from his spot on the floor. The two of them had taken a daddy-daughter afternoon on one of the holodecks, though the doctor had an ulterior motive.

And Joanna definitely noticed. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s on your mind, dad? Before you implode or something.”

McCoy looked at her oddly. “What?”

Joanna rolled her eyes. “An idiot could tell there’s something bothering you. Something you don’t want to tell me. And I’m definitely not an idiot.”

McCoy smiled slightly. “Of course not, Jo. You’re my daughter after all.” Joanna just looked at him, and after a moment, he lost the smile and sighed ruefully. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, Jo, I was just trying to figure out how to bring it up.”

Joanna shrugged and grabbed a handful of chips. “Well, I brought it up first, so out with it.” She ate the chips and looked at him expectantly.

McCoy let out a soft chuckle. “All right. I’m planning to propose to April, and I wanted to make sure you were all right with that.”

Joanna’s face immediately split into a large grin. “Seriously! You thought I wouldn’t be? I’ve been waiting for this for like five years!”

McCoy couldn’t help but smile at his daughter’s excitement. “I know you love her, Jo. And April loves you right back. You know she would never try to replace your mom, right?”

Joanna was quiet for a moment. “What if I want her to?” she finally asked.

McCoy frowned, leaning forward. Jim had mentioned something like this, but he wanted to hear Joanna’s thoughts. “What do you mean?”

Joanna bit her lip and looked up, eyes wet with unshed tears. “April’s awesome. I don’t really remember mom much, but she never really seemed to want me around. April never makes me feel like that. Even when I know you’d rather spend time together, she always asks me if I want to come along.” Joanna hesitated briefly, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. “I don’t even miss mom. I haven’t even really thought about her at all in the last couple of years.”

“Jo,” McCoy whispered, heart clenching painfully. “I wish you didn’t have to deal with this. Your mom’s issues are her own, and she should never have put them on you.”

Joanna shrugged, smiling again as she wiped the tears away. “But that’s why I’m with you! I’m glad you came to get me, dad. I love living with you, and I’m really glad you’re going to ask April to marry you.”

McCoy smiled back. “I’m glad you’re happy. I love you, Jo-Jo.” He paused for a moment, and then continued, “Jim told me what you told him, about wanting to call April mom.”

Joanna frowned. “He wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

McCoy reached out quickly and took her hand. “Don’t be mad at him, kiddo. Uncle Jim loves you more than life itself. All he wants is for you to be happy. And I promise, I won’t tell April anything. But if you want to call her mom, it’s ok with me. And I think it might be ok with her too. Just talk to her.”

Joanna looked down. “Yeah,” she replied noncommittedly.

And McCoy knew that was the best he was going to get. He and Joanna had a pretty close relationship, but she was still a twelve year old girl, and there were some things that were just universal. Preteen angst and not wanting to talk to her dad about certain topics was one of them.

So McCoy did the smart thing and changed the subject.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim’s attempt to talk to Carol didn’t go very well. Oh, he tried. But already being on the defensive, he probably didn’t present his side of the case very well.

“Jim, you can’t honestly believe that what you gave me was a real proposal! You just blurted it out like you were asking me for a cup of coffee.”

Jim huffed irritably. “I never would have said it if I didn’t mean it, Carol, you know that.”

Carol shook her head. “I’m not questioning whether or not you love me, Jim. I know you do. But if you can’t give me more than that, maybe you’re not ready to commit.”

Jim wanted to speak, but Carol just kept talking, overriding whatever he might have tried to say. “When you’re ready, I will be waiting.” She made for the door, opening it and stepping into the hallway. Before the door closed, she turned back around and looked at Jim, who was still standing dejectedly by the sofa. “I love you, Jim. You know that, right?”

Jim nodded once, not saying anything as Carol let the door close. Once he was alone, he collapsed onto the couch and let out an angry growl, rubbing his eyes tiredly with one hand. “Damn it,” he muttered.

He really wasn’t sure how to fix this. Why couldn’t Carol understand that he was ready? Maybe he could have done a better job of actually asking, but she didn’t have to question his commitment. As he settled himself back on the couch and grabbed his PADD angrily, he hoped McCoy had better luck.

Who was he kidding, Bones was much better at talking to people than he was. Of course the doctor would do a better job.

**XXX**

McCoy was definitely doing better. He had reserved one of the smaller rec rooms for him, April, and Joanna to have a picnic dinner after their shift. The room had simulation capabilities, so McCoy had set it to mimic a park. It didn’t even come close to the real thing, but considering their location on this godforsaken tin can, it was the best he could do.

April and Joanna seemed to love it, at least. They all ate together, before Joanna went off to explore some of the simulated trees. She had taken a soccer ball with her, and seemed to be enjoying kicking it around, watching it go through the trees, each one winking out of existence for a brief second before flickering back.

April and McCoy watched her, amused, for a minute, before turning back to each other.

“So I’m not exactly the most eloquent person,” the doctor started, fidgeting nervously. “In my head I thought I’d make some great speech about how much I love you, and how amazing you are… but…” he sighed, shrugging, and then shifted so that he was on one knee, simultaneously pulling a small box out of his pocket. “April, will you marry me?” he looked over at where Joanna had stopped kicking the ball and was instead watching them with a large grin. Turning back to April, he amended, “marry us? I know I come with baggage, and I honestly never thought I’d want to do this again, but I love you. Joanna loves you. And we want you to be a part of our family. Officially.”

April’s smile could have split her face in half it was so large. She also looked over at Joanna, almost questioning, making sure the pre-teen was all right with this. When Joanna nodded eagerly, she looked back at her future husband and replied, “Yes, Len, I will absolutely marry you!” She shifted to her knees and nearly knocked him back on his ass her hug was so enthusiastic.

McCoy hugged her back, giving her a swift but passionate kiss, before they pulled apart and he slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

April admired it from its new position. She had to admit she hadn’t even looked at the ring yet – not that it mattered, she would have said yes no matter what. It looked almost vintage, and sparkled brilliantly in its setting. The band was a plain yellow gold. In the middle was a rectangular aquamarine stone, with two small diamonds on either side. It was gorgeous.

McCoy looked nervous. “It was my grandmother’s,” he informed her. “She and my grandfather were married for fifty-seven years. When we were on Earth last, I went to visit my mother and she gave it to me. I wasn’t even thinking about using it at that point, but she said to hold onto it for when I was ready.”

April sniffed softly, overcome with emotion. “I love it,” she whispered, looking back up at him and smiling. McCoy smiled back, before Joanna jumped in, obviously tired of waiting.

“I’m so happy for you guys!” she grinned, hugging April tightly.

April returned the gesture, before smoothing the girl’s hair out of her face. “Thanks, sweetie,” she replied. “It means a lot to me that you were here for this. I love you.”

Joanna beamed. “Love you too, mom!”

April blinked, startled. Her smile slipped slightly, and Joanna looked suddenly scared. “Is that OK? I don’t have to, I just… I’ve been calling you that in my head for like, the last year, and I don’t want to think of _her_ as my mom anymore. I really don’t think of her like that anyway, but –”

April reached out, cutting her off. She squeezed Joanna’s hand gently. “I’m honored that you want to call me mom, Jo-Jo,” she assured. “And you’re welcome to call me that whenever you want.”

Joanna’s smile returned, full force.

McCoy was also beaming; he knew April wouldn’t mind, and he was glad Joanna had broached the subject without his interference.

April bit her lip and looked at McCoy for a moment.  “Joanna, if you’re interested, and your dad doesn’t mind, maybe after the wedding we could make it official.”

Joanna looked confused, but McCoy looked stunned. “Are you sure?” he asked. “You really don’t have to.”

April shook her head, smiling reassuringly. “I want to,” she promised. “This isn’t even a spur of the moment thing. I’ve thought about this a lot over the last few years.”

Joanna just looked more confused. “What are you guys talking about?” she asked, sitting down on the blanket between them.

April looked at her and squeezed her hand again. “As much as you’ve been thinking of me as mom, I’ve been thinking of you as my daughter.” Joanna looked intrigued. “I didn’t want to bring it up either, because I didn’t want to intrude or step out of bounds. You don’t have to say yes, and whatever you decide, nothing will change how much I love you. I would be the happiest person alive if I could spend the rest of my life being your stepmother. But if you want to, and only if it’s something you want, I could adopt you, and legally, I would be your mother.”

Joanna looked surprised, and glanced over at her father. McCoy smiled and took her free hand. “Whatever you decide, I will fully support, sweetie,” he promised. “April and I haven’t discussed this at all, but it is completely your decision. Even if you decide not to, Jocelyn doesn’t have to be your mom if you don’t want her to be. She has no legal rights where you’re concerned. April adopting you would give her legal rights, but you could still call her mom either way.”

Joanna looked down, thinking it over for a few minutes. Obligingly, McCoy and April let her have the time, not saying anything. Instead, McCoy pulled out some dessert – several slices of chocolate cake that actually looked pretty amazing, though considering they came from a replicator McCoy wasn’t entirely certain of the taste. He wasn’t a fan of replicated food, not that there were many other options out in the black.

Joanna took her piece in silence, eating with a single-minded determination that indicated she was thinking of anything other than the piece of cake in front of her.

She was halfway done before she looked back up, grinning at April. “I want you to be my legal mom.”

April immediately set aside her own slice, and engulfed the girl in a hug. McCoy joined them a moment later, his own smile just as wide as his daughter’s.

When they pulled apart a minute later, April commented, “I should probably tell Jim before anyone else finds out, right?” She picked her cake back up and took a bite. “He’d never forgive me if he had to find out through the grapevine.”

McCoy looked a little sheepish. “He actually already knows.” April raised an eyebrow, and he rushed on, “not your answer or any of this, but I asked him for permission last week.”

April frowned. “You asked Jim if you could marry me?”

McCoy nodded. “Well, I grew up in a Southern home, you know. Where you ask the father for his daughter’s hand. I couldn’t exactly do that, but Jim’s the next best thing, right? I know he’s like your brother, so I figured…” he trailed off, his explanation sounding feeble even to his own ears.

But April didn’t look upset. After her initial hesitation, a beatific smile spread across her face and she leaned over to kiss him. “Thank you,” she said, pulling back a moment later. “I love you. And I love that you understand the relationship Jim and I have.”

McCoy shrugged, understanding. “I do get it, April.” His voice softened, aware of the young child sitting next to them. “I know you two went through something horrible together, and it forged a familial bond that I could never hope or want to infringe on. He’s already like my brother, now it’ll just be official.”

April shook her head slightly, chuckling. “We’ve got to do something about our wayward brother, Len. He needs some serious help.”

McCoy grumbled. “Don’t I know it. Kid’s got no idea what he’s doing.”

April sighed. “I’ll try talking to him. Did he tell you what’s going on with him and Carol?”

McCoy nodded. “Yeah. He was an idiot, and he knows it. They’ll figure it out. In the meantime, we’re supposed to be celebrating.”

April laughed lightly, and obligingly dropped the subject.

**XXX**

McCoy was halfway through his paperwork the next morning when he was rudely interrupted by a whirlwind in a gold shirt.

He had been enjoying the relatively quiet day thus far, as they had had nothing more serious to deal with than a pair of Ensigns from Engineering whom Scotty had sent up to him to treat the first degree burns from getting too close to a malfunctioning terminal throwing off sparks. He had patched the two up and sent them back to work, and was taking advantage of the lack of urgency to catch up on paperwork he should have submitted three days ago – but then, he had been too busy dealing with a training accident gone wrong in the Security department, and a horde of Navigations and Communications crewmembers, Ensigns, and Lieutenants (who definitely should have known better) trying to set up some sort of prank on the next unsuspecting Science officer who tried to enter the botany labs. He had taken one look at the half dozen contrite and embarrassed men and women – covered in some sort of green sludge and half of them sporting red welts – and decided he was better off not knowing.

So yeah, paperwork had kind of fallen by the wayside. He was about halfway done when Jim burst into his office and dropped unceremoniously onto the small sofa in the CMO’s office. “You’ve got some explaining to do,” he said brusquely.

McCoy looked up from his PADD and raised an eyebrow. “Hi to you, too,” he drawled back.

Jim crossed his arms, throwing the doctor a mild glare. “Care to tell me why I had to hear from Joanna that you proposed to April?”

McCoy set his PADD down and sighed ruefully. “Damn it, Jo-Jo,” he muttered. “Sorry, Jim,” he said, louder. “I asked her last night. I was going to tell you today, promise.  Besides, it’s not like you didn’t know I was going to ask her.”

Jim shook his head slightly and smiled. “I know. Jo-Jo came to see me last night. I think she was just so excited about it. She also thanked me for telling you about the whole ‘mom’ issue. She’s thrilled that April’s going to adopt her.”

McCoy grinned, his eyes lighting up. “April and I hadn’t talked about that at all. I love the idea but would never have suggested it on my own, and it wouldn’t change how I feel about her if she didn’t want to.”

Jim shrugged. “April loves that kid just as much as you and I do. She loves being a mom, Bones. I think she’ll draw comfort from the legal aspects. She knows that she doesn’t have to have a piece of paper to be Jo-Jo’s mom, but if she does, no one can just snatch her away. It might not make sense, but it’s just a layer of security.”

McCoy nodded. “I get it, and I’m touched that she even offered. I’m just as excited as they are about it.” He picked up the PADD again. “Now get back to work. I’ve got paperwork to complete.” Jim grinned and stood up. He was almost at the door when the doctor spoke again. “I really am sorry she told you before I could.”

Jim was about to reply that he had only been slightly serious about being upset, when April chimed in from the now open doorway.

“I guess you’ll just have to settle for walking me down the aisle instead.”

Jim turned around so fast, McCoy was actually surprised he hadn’t overbalanced. “What?” he asked, stunned.

April rolled her eyes. “If Len had to ask for your permission before he proposed, then it’s only fair for you to give me away as well.”

Jim pointedly refused to acknowledge the stinging in his eyes. He was not crying. “I’m honored,” he said, when he was sure he had control over his voice.

April beamed and gave him a tight hug.

McCoy interrupted the moment as he asked in a voice that definitely had more of a Southern drawl to it than normal, “Is the best man allowed to walk the bride down the aisle?” Jim pulled back and looked at McCoy. Continuing on, the doctor followed up with, “And on that note, who’s going to marry us then? Can we tap you for that too, or do we need to find another captain? My parents raised me Catholic but I’m not really one for religion, not sure I want to go that route; though April if you want to, we can definitely talk about it.”

April was already shaking her head. “I’ve seen too many horrible things in this universe to believe in a higher power.”

McCoy grimaced, while Jim looked at her understandingly. It was hard to live through genocide and believe that it was all part of some grand plan, or that somewhere out there in the universe was an all-powerful being who let it happen.

A soft chime interrupted their conversation, and Jim pulled out his comm. It was Uhura, informing him of a Priority One communication coming in from Command, and his presence was requested on the Bridge.

Jim said he’d be right up, and then put his comm. away. “Looks like my break’s over,” he shrugged.

McCoy rolled his eyes. “Good. I need to finish this paperwork.”

Jim grinned cheekily. “I know.” McCoy raised an eyebrow, and the Captain shook his head slightly, still smiling. “Who receives your paperwork, Bones? I’m still waiting for those reports you were supposed to send to me days ago.”

McCoy threw a stylus at him, which Jim dodged, chuckling. “Then get out and let me get back to work,” he growled.

Jim didn’t bother to respond, and just ducked out of the room. April followed, also smiling, as she headed back to her own tasks.

**XXX**

Uhura immediately directed him to his Ready Room when he entered the Bridge. Jim was surprised to see a panel of Admirals on the vid screen when he walked in. The door swished closed behind him, and he came to a rest at attention in front of the screen.

There were five Admirals, including Jon Archer and Richard Barnett. The others he wasn’t quite as familiar with, but he recognized them as being among the top tier of Admiralty in Starfleet.

“Captain Kirk, thank you for joining us,” Admiral Kawaoki said, a slight edge to his voice as he leveled a stern look at Jim through the screen.

Jim inclined his head slightly. “I apologize for the wait, Admirals. I was checking on a few things in Medbay.”

Archer cut off any other potential griping about Jim’s tardiness. “No worries, Captain. We understand this communication is unexpected, but a situation has recently presented itself, and we wanted to bring you in on it.”

Jim frowned minutely, intrigued and confused. “How can I be of service?”

Jon shuffled the PADD in front of him, looking suddenly uncertain. Jim was immediately on edge. “We received a rather interesting and slightly alarming communication from the Klingons a few days ago.” Jim didn’t respond beyond raising one eyebrow, a silent invitation to continue. Jon smiled slightly. “We thought you might be best to take point on this because of your… cordial relations with them in the past.”

Jim shifted slightly, weight alternating from one leg to the other. “What exactly did this communication say?” he asked.

Jon sighed. “In basic terms, they want to reopen the peace treaty. They want to renegotiate a peace with an eye towards working more harmoniously with the Federation in the future.”

Jim leaned back slightly, startled. Without realizing what he was doing, he dropped into the nearest chair. Admirals Kawaoki and Livingston frowned at the lack of decorum, but Archer, Barnett, and Admiral Nogura all looked completely understanding. This had thrown them for a loop as well.

Jim ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly. “Why now?” he mused. “I mean, I know things have been at least less tense between us in the last year or so, but for them to be coming to us with this request… there has to be a reason.”

Admiral Nogura cleared his throat. “You are correct. Apart from a few minor raids among a half dozen or so colonies near the edge of the Neutral Zone, the Klingons have been oddly silent. Your visit to Qo’noS did a great deal to ease tensions between us. We were all rather surprised at the forwardness and apparent lack of strings. They’re not demanding anything right now; all they want is to open a peace talk, and their only request is that the _Enterprise_ attend as Starfleet’s official representation.”

Jim had to refrain himself from raising his eyebrow again. “They want us there.”

Archer nodded. “You, Jim. Whatever you did when you visited their home planet must have really resonated. They want to make the peace treaty better, and they want to actually abide by it. But they want you there to negotiate.”

Jim let out a long breath of air. “Ok, so what happens now?”

“We begin the process,” Admiral Kawaoki said brusquely. “It will take time, but we will reach out to Federation representatives, and begin an official dialogue with the Klingons. We will form a panel of representatives, of which you will take charge.” Kawaoki paused and gave Jim a stern look. “Understand, Captain Kirk, that you will be in constant communication with us at every step of the way. You may be whom the Klingons want leading these negotiations, but we will have input.”

Jim nodded immediately. It was nothing he hadn’t expected. He was still just a young Captain, no matter how many world – or universe – saving missions he had under his belt. “Of course, Admiral. I will put together a small team on the _Enterprise_ , and we will begin working on an outline immediately.”

“And we will send you details on the other Federation representatives as soon as they sign on,” Archer replied. “At the very least, expect Ambassador Sarek to join your team. I’m anticipating Ambassador Shras from Andoria and Ambassador Maab of Capella may also be interested.”

“We want to see how far they want to take this,” Admiral Nogura chimed back in. Kawaoki and Livingston looked annoyed at what their colleague was revealing, but didn’t try to silence him. No matter the difference in rank, however, James Kirk had proved his loyalty and his usefulness; if he was going to play such a pivotal role in the negotiation, Nogura wanted to make sure he had all the facts. “The Klingons have provided us with an opportunity, Captain,” he continued, noting the way Kirk immediately straightened in his seat.

“Opening talks with the Klingons could give us an outlet to reach a lot of Federation races,” Jim mused, nodding thoughtfully. “We can put together a small team to work with them, but there are thousands of species in the Federation. We’ve been fractured lately – ever since Vulcan, really. If we could bring representatives together, it could pave the way to renewing those bonds.”

“It could also give us a chance to acknowledge any grievances, concerns, or issues our Federation members may have,” Barnett added. He and Jon were the only two who didn’t look surprised that Jim had immediately caught onto what they were hoping to achieve.

Jim nodded again. “Makes sense,” he replied. “You want to put together a conference?”

Archer shrugged. “We’re not there yet. Right now we need to sound out the Klingons. See what they want, how much they want for it, and how far they’re willing to go. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.”

“Of course,” Jim replied quickly. “Let me know when you have the other representatives on board, and we will start working on this immediately.”

“Expect an encrypted communication within the next twenty four hours,” Nogura said. “We’re keeping this quiet for now, for obvious reasons. If and when it turns into anything more, there will be an official announcement, but until we reach that point, we would like to keep this on a strictly need to know basis.”

He waited until they had Jim’s acknowledgement, and then ended the call. Jim sat there in silence for another few minutes, mind still grasping all the various ways this could impact the Federation, before he shook himself off and sent out a private message to a few key personnel, requesting a meeting the following afternoon.

Spock, Uhura, and two Lieutenants from Communications would be enough, he decided. He was wary of overbalancing the team. Spock and Uhura were givens, but he felt confident with the two Lieutenants as well. Shraeter was Betazoid; her telepathic abilities may come in handy, as would her steady calm and seeming inability to ever anger – though that was more a personality trait, and not indicative of the entire race.

Lieutenant Vlox was the son of the current Tellarite ambassador. Jim had personally witnessed his diplomatic skills on several occasions, and knew he had learned a lot from his father before he had joined Starfleet.

Messages sent, he quickly made his way back onto the Bridge.

Uhura and Spock both looked intrigued when he reappeared, having received his message, but neither one commented. Chekov asked if they had gotten a new mission, but Jim shook his head.

“Just a few things the Admiralty wanted to make sure we were aware of,” he replied vaguely. “Nothing important.”

Sulu and Chekov definitely looked like they wanted to call BS, and Carol was trying very hard not to turn around and show her own interest. She and Jim hadn’t really spoken since their last argument a few days earlier. Spock and Uhura remained determinedly silent.

Jim just shook his head slightly. “Seriously, if and when it becomes anything worth worrying about, I’ll let you know. For now though, let’s just get back to work.”

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Jim had gathered with Spock, Uhura, Shraeter, and Vlox the next afternoon, he had already received confirmation that Ambassadors Sarek and Shras would be involved, while Ambassador Maab was considering the offer and would need to speak with the Capellan Chancellor before giving Starfleet a final answer. He promised he would have a response within two weeks.

The Admirals had also sent Jim the beginnings of a manifesto – a list of requirements for the Klingons, and points they would not budge on, along with those that could be considered more negotiable. All in all, Jim thought it was incredibly detailed, considering they hadn't even started negotiations yet. But he kept their requests in mind as he sat down at the table and detailed what they were trying to accomplish to the others he had selected for this endeavor.

Unsurprisingly, they were all speechless as he finished. Jim gave them a few minutes to let it sink in, before he leaned forward in his seat. "I understand your skepticism," he said ruefully. "Honestly, I'm not sure how realistic this is. But we have several key points working in our favor, not the least of which is, the  _Klingons_  approached us." Spock nodded slightly, while Uhura's eyes widened and Vlox and Shraeter shared a look. Jim's mouth quirked up in a facsimile of a smile. "This isn't a wild goose chase. They came to us. They want to renegotiate."

He glanced briefly at the PADD in front of him, and then sighed lightly. "I've already got the beginnings of a list from the Admirals, which I'm sure is going to expand rapidly as we continue in the negotiations. But the important thing we have to remember is that  _we're_  taking the lead. The Admirals of course have final approval, but the Klingons want to negotiate with us specifically."

"With you," Uhura corrected. When Jim looked at her, she shook her head amusedly. "Captain, they requested you. Don't get me wrong, I'm honored that you tapped me for this, but don't pretend that they're interested in us for any other reason than you're leading the team."

Jim shrugged. "They want me, and I want you. Same difference." Uhura rolled her eyes, but didn't protest.

Spock shifted minutely, a gesture that was only caught by Uhura – because she was sitting right next to him – and Jim, who knew his First Officer well enough to know what the objection he was undoubtedly about to voice would be. "Captain, if the Admirals have compiled a list of points to include, it is our responsibility to ensure they are represented."

Jim hesitated for the briefest moment before deciding that if they were really going to carry this crazy plan out, he would need to make sure they were all on the same page. "I've looked at the list, Spock; not all of these requests  _should_  be carried out. I've already highlighted a couple that may have the Klingons walking before we even start. That's not to say some of them aren't merited, but the idea here isn't to make sure Starfleet gets everything they want."

Spock looked slightly confused, while Vlox frowned, puzzled. "Pardon me, Captain, but as Starfleet's representatives isn't it exactly our duty to make sure Starfleet gets what they want?"

Jim shook his head, expression bright with the excitement of what they were attempting to accomplish. The look he gave Vlox was understanding; part of being a Captain meant being a teacher, and he loved helping younger crew members put together the pieces; that moment where it all just clicked for them would never get old. "We're trying to negotiate a peace treaty that  _all_  sides will adhere to, Lieutenant," he said simply. "That means listening to all sides, conceding on regulations or requirements that will never be met or adhered to. One of the cardinal rules of being a leader is to never give an order if you don't know for sure that it will be followed, and the same rule applies here."

"So then what exactly are we doing?" Shraeter asked, interested.

Jim smiled. "We're making history, Lieutenant." Shraeter looked even more excited, while Vlox's mouth dropped open slightly. Uhura couldn't contain her smile, and even Spock looked amused. "The last peace treaty between Klingons and the Federation was barely worth the antiquated paper it was printed on. Neither side seemed too willing to follow it, nor has either side been surprised when it was violated. We're sitting down at the table with the Klingons, both sides willingly, for the first time in history. The last talks held over a century ago were out of necessity, not desire. We have an opportunity here to define how relations go with the Klingons for generations to come. We can create something real here, something both sides will actually honor. But only if we go in openly, and consider not just what we can get from them, but what we can give. We're not asking them to join the Federation. They don't want that, and I don't know that we want it either. But what we are asking, what they are asking, is if our two groups can coexist peacefully – truly peacefully. If they're willing to make the effort, then we have to be as well."

There was a long silence after his speech, everyone considering the words and taking in the truly large task ahead of them. There was a lot riding on this, and if they failed it would be a black mark they may never recover from.

Fortunately, they had Captain James T. Kirk leading the charge. This was Jim's crew, after all, and each and every one of them had seen the level of intensity he brought to everything he did. When he committed to something, he would either see it through or go down with the ship.

Shraeter was practically bouncing in her seat. "So where do we begin?" she asked.

Jim gave him an understanding smile, and looked at Vlox. The Tellarite was more muted in his excitement, but his expression definitely showed his interest. "I'm in."

Jim only need a glance the last two participants to know that they were in as well. He had never doubted those two, but this was the first time Shraeter or Vlox had ever been tasked with something so important. He wanted to make sure they knew what they were in for. Looking at the two young Lieutenants, he could see that they were eager, but there was a heaviness there that reassured the Captain that they knew how important this was.

"First things first," he said, tapping on his PADD, "Non-disclosure agreement. This needs to be kept quiet for now. The Admirals don't want it getting out until we're much further down the road. So I need you all to read and sign this, understanding that you are agreeing to not speak about this with anyone outside this room."

He sent the form to all of them, and watched as each one read through the agreement, and signed it. Once he had all forms back in his inbox, he set the PADD aside and folded his hands, resting on his forearms on the table in front of him. "I'm going to send you the list from the Admirals. We'll be meeting weekly, so before next week I want you to review it and make your own notes. Anything you see that needs to be addressed, anything you think should be added, any other comments or questions. This isn't going to be me telling you what to do and you following orders. I want your inputs. You were all selected for this team because I think you can each bring something valuable to the table. In addition, make sure you're familiar with Klingon culture. This won't work unless we show them that we truly respect them as a race. That we're not just in it for us. Understand?"

He waited for all of them to nod, before he dismissed them.

Spock waited until everyone else had left, before he sat back down at the table. "Captain, while I commend this effort, I feel I must question your intention to ignore what may be direct orders from the Admiralty. If they have requirements, surely we cannot deviate?"

Jim sighed ruefully, and sat back down as well. "It walks a fine line," he admitted, "and it may not be necessary, but the Admirals say that they want this peace. If they truly mean that, then they'll be willing to yield on some issues that the Klingons wouldn't accept." He bit his lip in thought, and then shook his head. "I'm worried about bringing something to the table that offends the Klingons so badly they walk before we even get started. There are a couple of points on that list they sent me, which could very well do that."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "You appear to have given this a great deal of thought."

Jim shrugged. "The important thing that we have to remember here, Spock, and that the Admirals have to remember, is that the Klingons asked for me. That gives me a little more leeway than if the Admirals had been able to appoint their own representative. And there's no telling whether or not they may have chosen me anyway. From a logical standpoint, it would have made sense. But the fact that the Klingons asked for me, that means something."

Spock inclined his head. "I understand, Captain. And I will of course follow your lead."

Jim smiled slightly. "Thank you, Spock. And I do appreciate you bringing your concerns to me. I'm not trying to be insubordinate. I do understand command structure. But life isn't always black and white. This whole situation is complicated, and we can't always go by the rulebook."

Spock almost found himself smiling, but stopped before the minute quirk of his lips became too visible. "If nothing else, Captain, serving with you these last seven years has shown me the truth of your words."

Jim's smile turned into a full grin. "Then I will consider my tenure in Starfleet a success, Spock." Spock just stared at him. If he were not a Vulcan, it may have even been called a glare. This just seemed to amuse Jim even more. He let out a soft chuckle, and then calmed down. "Will you contact our other representatives? Ambassadors Sarek and Shras have already signed on, and I expect Ambassador Maab will be joining us as well, even if he needs to contact his Chancellor for official approval first. They will likely have their own requests and ideas for the treaty, though their input may more frequently come through messages and transfer of files, rather than live calls."

Spock nodded, not indicating any surprise that his father would be joining their team. As one of the founding races of the Federation, it was only logical that the Vulcans would have a representative at the table.

Due to their position and distance from Earth, it may not always be feasible to speak in real-time. It was easier to make the virtual connection when using Starfleet Command channels, but even then, sometimes their positions just didn't allow for it. If his memory served correctly, he would likely be able to speak with his father on New Vulcan, but would likely need to send Ambassador Shras a message, and he would wait until the official confirmation before he contacted Ambassador Maab. "I will forward the Admirals' initial manifest," he stated. "I will indicate our weekly meeting time, and assure they understand that any requests or comments should be made by that time to be included in each week's session."

Jim nodded. "Thanks, Spock. Now, we've wasted any free time before dinner, we should probably get to the mess before anyone misses us."

Spock didn't deign to respond, and simply followed his Captain out of the room and to the officer's mess hall.

**XXX**

Life continued to pass peacefully in the following weeks. Jim and the others were suddenly incredibly busy with their new task, something that was noted by all of their friends even if they had no idea what was going on.

After three weeks of Jim studiously avoiding Carol at every possible opportunity where it wouldn't affect work, the Lieutenant finally had enough. Either he meant it when he said he loved her, or he should just break up with her already.

Carol may have been living in guest quarters for the last few weeks, but she still had the entry code for the Captain's quarters, considering she lived there.

Jim was startled to find her waiting for him when he returned from a meeting about the peace treaty. She was sitting on the couch, lights mostly dimmed, wearing a pair of jeans and one of Jim's old Academy sweatshirts. He paused briefly in the doorway before entering, pulling off his command gold shirt as he walked to the bedroom. He reemerged a minute later wearing an Ole Miss t-shirt that Carol knew had once belonged to McCoy, but had probably made its way to Jim's belongings while the two had been roommates at the Academy.

"Hey," Jim said lamely, almost wincing at the brusqueness of his tone.

Carol bit her lip, looking down. "Hi," she replied softly. She waited a moment for Jim to join her, but he stayed standing, hovering awkwardly near the bedroom door. She sighed and her shoulders slumped slightly. "Jim, I love you, you know I do. But if you want me to stay, you need to talk to me. You've been avoiding me for the last few weeks, but we need to talk about this."

Jim grimaced, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he muttered, unable to meet her gaze. "I just… I don't know."

Carol pursed her lips. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours," she said, her voice direct but understanding.

Jim bit his lip. "I proposed, and you shot me down," he said simply. "It hurt."

Carol frowned. "Jim, we talked about this already. That wasn't a proposal that was a… throwaway remark. It sounded more like a business arrangement."

Jim's jaw ticked as he clenched it tightly, looking away. "You know I'm not the best at romance, Carol. I've told you how my brain works, I don't do emotion well."

Carol sighed. She did know. But still… "Jim, I get that, I really do. But for something like this, can't you see how I need to see that side of you? Don't you want to make the effort to show that side? You might not do it well, but I know you can be romantic, if you try."

Jim didn't respond. Carol let him have a few minutes to think, before she leaned forward, looking at him intently. "Jim, what is it that you love about me?"

Jim glanced up, surprised. After a moment, he responded, voice soft and uncertain. "At first, I liked that you looked passed the title and fame. When I told you my name, it was like you didn't care. You wanted to spend time with  _me_ , not Captain Kirk." He sat down on the couch, still not looking at her but at least he was relaxing a little bit more. He clasped his hands together tightly, fingers seeming to twist painfully, but he didn't seem to notice. "And then… I love the way you're always up for anything, and you always push me to be better. You've never made me feel incompetent or wrong for the way my brain works. You accepted everything about my past without hesitation. You let me be who I am in a way I really don't feel able to share with many other people." He sighed ruefully and finally looked up. His expression was pleading, and Carol felt a few tears escape her eyes and trail down her cheeks. "Honestly Carol, I feel more like me when I'm with you, than I do when I'm with me."

Carol sniffed, more tears escaping, but she was smiling lovingly as she reached out and rested one hand over his own clasped ones. "Now why couldn't you have led with that before your business arrangement?"

Jim blinked, startled, but then he smiled as well, and shrugged ruefully.

Carol shifted slightly so that she was facing him head on. "Jim, I love the way you see the world. You've got this incredible IQ that makes your mind think in ways most people just can't understand, but it also allows you to connect to the world on a level that few others could ever comprehend. I know you think your IQ makes it harder to connect with people, but I think it's the opposite. You can connect, just in different ways, because of the unique way your brain works. Even if you have trouble sometimes, you never let it stop you from trying. And you do try, Jim, I see it every day. You've made these connections with others, despite what you see as a limitation. And it's not a limitation Jim, please don't ever think that."

Jim bit his lip, embarrassed. Carol's smile widened. "I love the way you're always there for your friends, and for your crew. You walk through fire for them without thought or hesitation. You always give your all to whatever you set your mind to. I love the way you see your crew as your family, and the way you treat them like family. You would go to the ends of the universe for any one of them, and you inspire such loyalty in return." She let out a soft chuckle. "And I love the way you don't even seem to realize how loyal your crew is sometimes."

She leaned forward and cupped his cheek with one hand, gently forcing him to look at her. "Jim, you have a smile that you reserve just for me."

Jim blinked, startled. "I do?" he asked, confused.

Carol beamed. "You have different smiles, I know because I've catalogued all of them. There's your professional one, reserved for work functions and the Admiralty, and then there's the one you use with your crew. You have a different smile for your close friends, and one when you're in protector mode. I mostly see that one with Chekov, Kevin, and April." Jim grimaced slightly, but Carol didn't stop. "And then there's the one you use just with me. The smile that makes me feel like all is right with the world, like I could do anything because I have you by my side." She paused briefly, and then leaned forward and kissed him gently. Pulling back, she added, "Whenever you decide to ask me again, I promise Jim, my answer will always be yes."

Jim bit his lip, before he pulled away and knelt down in front of her. "Carol, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I promise, this is so much more than a business arrangement. Will you marry me?"

Carol beamed and practically threw herself off the couch, hugging him tightly as they topped gently backwards until they were lying on the floor. "Yes!" She pulled back and kissed him again, this time much less gently.

Jim was the one to break the kiss, a few moments later. Carol watched, confused, as he got up and headed into his bedroom. "Jim, what are you doing?" she asked.

Jim returned, looking slightly embarrassed. He sat down next to her on the floor, and held up a small velvet box, which he handed to Carol after a moment's hesitation.

Carol felt her breath catch as she opened the box hesitantly. Inside was a ring. A beautiful ring. The band broke into four different parts about halfway up that wove together around the square diamond on top. Each band had a row of stones set into it. Three of the rows were diamonds, and the fourth was sapphire. The bands that had diamonds were yellow gold, while the sapphire one was platinum.

She looked up at Jim, shocked. Jim took the ring out of the box and grasped her left hand lightly. He slid the ring onto her fourth finger, before looking back up. "It wasn't a throwaway remark, Carol," he said quietly. "I bought this at our last shore leave. I knew I wanted to ask. Maybe I hadn't planned on asking at that exact moment in time, but I promise you I knew exactly what I was saying."

Carol felt herself tear up again. "Jim, our last shore leave was six months ago."

Jim shrugged. "I wasn't sure how to ask, and it kind of came out unexpectedly a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I made you feel like you weren't worth a real proposal. But when we were sitting here that afternoon, it just struck me how  _right_  it was, and it just… popped out."

Carol smiled through the tears, and kissed her fiancé passionately. "I'm sorry I thought you hadn't really thought it through. I shouldn't have walked out like that. We should have had this conversation weeks ago."

Jim nodded, understanding. "I was avoiding you," he admitted. "I'm just glad we had it now."

Carol definitely agreed and leaned in to kiss him. They had forgotten the world around them and were seriously in danger of asphyxiating due to lack of oxygen when the insistent chirping of Jim's comm. in the corner of the room interrupted their current activities. With an annoyed sigh, Jim pulled back and gave his fiancée a regretful look before he stood up and made his way over to the console.


	4. Chapter 4

It was Chris. Jim frowned, concerned and a little worried. He and Chris talked regularly of course, but the encryption on this call was more indicative of a high priority mission alert from Starfleet Command. If it was a mission, first of all Jon should be the one calling; but it should have also come through official channels, not to Jim's quarters.

Putting the confusion aside, he smiled when the screen cleared to show Chris.

Chris' expression, however, was grim, and Jim's smile dropped immediately. "Have you heard yet?" the Admiral asked, forgoing any conventional greeting.

Jim frowned, confused. "Heard what?"

Chris slumped slightly in his seat, grimness giving away to worry. "Damn it," he muttered.

Jim's own feelings were growing more alarmed by the second. "Chris, what's going on?"

Chris looked up and grimaced. "Jim, there was a prison break a couple weeks ago. On Elba II."

Jim's face paled rapidly. "There's only one reason you'd be calling me like this," he said shakily, the question implied even if he didn't speak it aloud.

Chris nodded, wishing he didn't have to be the one to deliver this news. "Yeah, Jim. Kodos escaped. The  _Yorktown_  is heading up the search and investigation, but it looks like he faked an illness and took out a couple of guards. He posed as one of them to get to the shuttles and managed to get off planet before they locked the facility down."

"What about tracking systems on the shuttle?" Jim asked. Any vessel registered to a prison planet would have navigation tracking, mostly for this exact purpose.

Chris shook his head. "We tracked it to a nearby planet, where we found the remains of the shuttle. He burned it, and managed to get off the planet another way. We're still looking, but I wanted to call you to make sure you were aware. I'm sure Jon's going to contact you soon."

Jim didn't look pleased to have been left in the dark for the last couple of weeks, but he knew Starfleet wasn't concerned with his feelings. There were lots of moving parts at play, and Jon couldn't always let him know right away, despite the fact that, in this specific situation, he really  _should_  have been informed right away.

Behind him Carol moved, coming to stand at rest next to Jim's chair at the console. Her arm snaked around his shoulders in silent support.

Light years away, Chris blinked, startled, as he saw the arm move; he knew it was probably Carol – it would make sense, considering they shared living quarters – but what caught his attention wasn't the fact that there was someone else in the room. It was the shiny ring glinting in the light from a very important finger.

Jim looked up at Carol, grateful for the support, before Chris managed to find his voice.

"Jim?" He waited for the Captain to turn back to the computer. "Not to pry or anything, but that's a very significant finger to be wearing a diamond ring on. Does that mean what I think it means?"

Jim looked at Carol's hand, and then his expression cleared in understanding. "Yeah," he coughed, clearing his throat. "Um, we're engaged."

Chris beamed. "That's wonderful, congratulations you two. I'm assuming you were going to let me know at some point, right? How long?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "Your call kind of interrupted the tail end of my proposal, Chris. Thanks for that, by the way. And yes, I was going to let you know."

Chris smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Didn't mean to sound accusing. I really am happy for you. Any thoughts on when the big day will be?"

Jim had to stop himself from rolling his eyes again. "It's been five minutes, Chris. I promise we won't get married without you."

Chris actually did look relieved. "Again, sorry. I should go, and Jim?" He waited until the younger man returned his attention to the screen and the Admiral on the other end of the call. "Don't be too hard on Jon, when he calls you. He's got a tough job, lots going on. You know he didn't mean to offend or hurt you by not telling you right away."

Jim nodded shortly. "I know. I wish they had told me when it happened, but it's not Starfleet's job to make me happy. Don't worry, Chris, I get it."

Chris smiled reassuringly. "He's going to tell you. Well, I guess he doesn't have to anymore, but I expect he'll call you anyway." Jim grimaced but didn't reply. Chris sighed ruefully. "Oh by the way, while I've got you I wanted to congratulate you on the Klingon peace treaty job too. Jon told me you're heading up the team."

Jim raised an eyebrow, as Carol let out a soft gasp and looked at Jim confusedly. Jim raised an eyebrow. "I thought they were keeping it quiet."

Chris shrugged, but looked apologetic that he had spoken in front of Carol, who had no idea what was going on. "They are," he promised, "The  _Yorktown_  got tapped to head up planning for the talks they're working on. They told me about your job, so that we could organize the talks around it. I expect we'll probably be communicating a lot more regularly once your meetings with the Klingons get underway."

Jim nodded. "We have to have a peace treaty in the works before you guys can actually schedule the rest of it. This could all blow up in our faces."

"It won't," Chris promised. "You're good at what you do, Jim, and the Klingons actually want to negotiate. I know you understand the significance of this."

Jim rubbed a hand tiredly across his face. "I do," he acknowledged. "It's crazy and unreal, and part of me still can't believe it, but I get how historical this is."

Chris nodded. "Well, now I should really get going. You two take care, and again, congratulations. Let us worry about Kodos, you just focus on the Klingons and your mission. Stay safe out there, yeah?"

Jim smiled weakly. "You too. Talk later?"

"Definitely," Chris smiled and signed off.

Jim let the computer console go black, before he sighed and turned to look at Carol. "What you just heard is incredibly classified."

Carol nodded quickly, sitting back down on the couch. "I understand," she promised. "I won't tell anyone."

Jim smiled, though there was a tightness around his eyes that showed his unease to the woman who had been by his side for the last five years.

Carol bit her lip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jim shook his head immediately. "I'm fine." Carol definitely didn't believe him, but he didn't give her a chance to say anything else. "I'm not really feeling up for dinner in the mess tonight, care to replicate something incredibly unhealthy and celebrate our recent relationship status change?"

He grinned suggestively. Carol knew what he was doing, but also knew better than to call him on it. So she just nodded in response, smiling and letting him lead her to the replicator where he selected fish and chips for both of them, knowing that it was her favorite comfort meal. A slice of four layer chocolate cake the size of his head followed.

He set the cake aside for the moment, and handed her a plate of fish and chips. The two settled onto the floor in front of the couch and dug in. "You know, when I first bought the ring, I thought about how I could give it to you," he admitted. He gestured to the cake with a fry in his hand. "I almost put it in a cake to give to you for dessert, but then I thought that would be way too twenty-first century crappy romantic comedy movie. Every way I could think to do it just sounded cheesier than the one before it."

Carol laughed lightly. "Well, I won't say it was perfect the way it happened, but I am glad that we worked it out and that you asked. At least it was memorable."

Jim grimaced. "Not sure that's the kind of memorable I was going for."

Carol put her plate down and rested a hand on his knee. "No regrets, Jim. I love the ring, I love you, and I am thrilled to become your wife."

Jim leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. The two plates were cast aside carelessly, as he shifted, pushing her down to the floor. Carol forgot about dinner, she forgot about dessert. The only thing that mattered to her was the man who was doing his level best to make sure she even forgot her own name.

It could have been five minutes or five years, but eventually Jim pulled back. His pupils were dilated and there was a lustful look in his eyes that told Carol he was about three seconds away from ripping her clothes off right there. "Bedroom?" she asked breathlessly.

Jim blinked and swallowed, before nodding quickly and pulling her up off the floor. The two were tripping over their own feet and giggling like teenagers as they made their way into the bedroom.

**XXX**

Jim was clearly on edge the next day. When he and Carol woke up, there was no mention of what they had learned from Chris. Carol wanted to get her fiancé to talk, but she knew him well enough to know how to handle situations like this. She would have to force the situation eventually, but he wouldn't be receptive for at least another day or two.

So instead she just removed the engagement ring from her finger and threaded it onto a silver chain which she hung around her neck, slipping the ring under her uniform dress. When Jim looked at her questioningly, she shrugged. "Given everything, I thought maybe we should keep this to ourselves for now?" she said in answer to his unspoken question. "It's not that I don't want people to know, but…"

Jim nodded quickly, reaching out to rest his hands on her shoulders. "I get it," he assured her. "And you're right. Things are a little hectic right now. We should tell our friends soon, but until things settle down a little, it's probably better to keep it quiet."

Carol smiled, grateful he understood, and let him lead her out of the room and towards the mess hall for breakfast.

**XXX**

Everyone could tell something was up with Jim. Carol thought at first it may have just been her because she knew him so well, but she could see the looks various crew members on the Bridge were sharing. It wasn't just the command crew, there were others who seemed to be watching their Captain with far more interest than normal. There was a definite tenseness to his shoulders, and he didn't seem interested in talking with anyone else in the way he normally would during a typical shift.

There were only two hours left in Alpha shift when Uhura notified him to a priority one communication coming in from Admiral Archer. In clipped tones, he told her to transfer it to his ready room and left the Bridge, barely remembering to officially hand the con off to Spock before the door to the room closed.

Uhura and Spock shared a look before Uhura followed the Captain's request. Carol, several seats over, almost managed to contain her flinch. Uhura saw the aborted movement, and made a mental note to ask the Lieutenant what the hell was going on.

As it was a priority one, Uhura couldn't actually monitor the call, so she had no idea what was going on. As the head of Communications, she had that ability for most communications sent and received on the ship – not that she used it very often, she respected people's privacy unless she had reason to monitor their conversations. But a priority one was the highest level of importance for Starfleet Command, and enabled every layer of encryption and security possible. One of those measures was privacy from any monitoring system – such as the one at the Communications station.

Even the soundproof walls, however, couldn't completely mute the muffled sounds of yelling coming from the Captain's ready room.

Everyone on the Bridge stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the closed door in shock. They couldn't make out actual words, but it was clear that Jim was yelling at the exalted Admiral, which worried several lower level crew members, as it was the height of insubordination to act as such to a superior – let alone Admiral Archer. Beyond that, however, they had never heard Jim even raise his voice before. Sure, they'd seen him get stern or obstinate, and he could do professional distance with the best of them, but they had never actually heard him yell.

Spock, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov were even more concerned, knowing the close relationship between Jim and Archer. This only cemented their belief that something was seriously wrong with their friend.

A light blinked at Uhura's station a few minutes later – Jim ending the transmission from the ready room – and she disconnected the call completely.

It was another five minutes before Jim returned to the Bridge, but he didn't comment on the call. He didn't say anything as he dropped back into his chair.

Sulu turned around hesitantly. "Do we have a mission, sir?" he asked warily, not wanting to set Jim off if he was in the mood to start going off on all his friends today.

Jim shook his head shortly. "Non-mission related call," he replied, and then buried himself in his PADD, focusing intently on reports he needed to sign off on, and ignoring all of the confused looks he knew were being shared around him.

The rest of the shift passed in silence that was only mostly uncomfortable. When Commander Boylston arrived for Beta shift, Jim immediately handed the Bridge over and left, not waiting for anyone else.

Usually, some or all of the command crew would gather together in the mess hall to eat dinner, schedules permitting. However, when Spock, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov arrived after their shift, Jim was nowhere in sight.

Carol joined them that evening, but April and McCoy had other plans, and Scotty was doing something in Engineering that they were probably better off not knowing about. Kevin usually joined them as well, but he had made plans with a young Ensign in the Communications department, a date that seemed to be going well if the closeness of the two across their table in the corner of the mess hall was any indication when Uhura caught sight of them as she sat down next to Spock.

No one had seen Jim since the end of Alpha shift, and they were all concerned.

"Carol, please," Uhura tried to wheedle some bit of information out of the woman, "something's clearly wrong. Tell us what's going on so that we can help."

Carol bit her lip, looking down. She was no longer interested in the meal in front of her, and glad that she had only chosen a salad, rather than something heavier. "I shouldn't say anything," she said quietly, not looking up.

Sulu frowned. "We're all friends, Carol. We just want to help however we can."

Carol shook her head quickly. "It's not that I don't think you should be told, Hikaru, but I can't tell you. Jim doesn't want me to. And I'm not entirely certain it isn't classified anyway."

Uhura pursed her lips, considering. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

Carol sighed, spearing a few leaves of lettuce on her fork and holding it up, though she made no effort to put the food in her mouth. "There was a prison break," she conceded finally. "It has Jim and the Admirals concerned."

"Prison break?" Chekov wondered. "Why would that make Jim act like this? Was it someone he knew?"

Carol tried to hide her flinch, but she knew she was unsuccessful.

Sulu narrowed his gaze. "Just where was this prison break?" he asked pointedly.

Carol slumped in her seat, defeated. Her fork dropped onto her plate and she wrung her hands together, gaze fixed on them and not on any of the friends surrounding her. "Elba II," she whispered finally.

The name sounded slightly familiar, but none of them could place it, until Spock chimed in, voice bland and neutral, "If I am not mistaken, that would be the prison planet where the criminal Kodos was remanded to upon sentencing."

There was a muffled gasp from Chekov, before Sulu rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. Uhura looked pained, but understanding.

Carol just nodded, still not looking up. A few tears gathered at the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "He escaped a few weeks ago. Admiral Pike called him last night to find out if he had been told. I'm fairly certain that call from Admiral Archer today was to do that. Pike probably told him Jim already knew. Jim wasn't thrilled to be kept in the dark, but he did tell Pike he understood why."

"That was a very loud conversation for someone who understands," Sulu observed.

Carol finally looked up, glaring at the pilot. "There's a difference between understanding and being angry," she shot back. "I think he's allowed to be both, don't you?"

Sulu nodded quickly. "I didn't say he didn't," he tried to pacify the Brit. "Sorry, that probably came off as more insensitive than I meant it to. I was just surprised. Jim's not the type to lose his temper."

Carol didn't reply, but she nodded and lost some of the hostility in her gaze.

"Why would they tell Pike and not Jim?" Chekov asked. His voice was quiet and strained, and despite Sulu's comforting, didn't look much better.

Carol sighed. "The  _Yorktown_  is heading up the investigation and search. Pike promised to keep Jim informed, and I'm sure he'll let us know if anything develops."

She gathered up her mostly uneaten salad, and slid out of the booth. "I'm going to head out. Please let Jim come to you though. I know he's acting off, but he's dealing with it. The last thing he needs is you treating him differently."

She waited for their nods, before heading to the waste receptacles to dispose of her trash and then back to her and Jim's quarters.

**XXX**

Jim was alone in his and Carol's room when McCoy stopped by. In answer to the Captain's unasked question about what he was doing, the doctor replied, "April and Joanna are having a girls night in, so I'm alone and not allowed in my own room for at least the next few hours." He looked a little disgruntled at being kicked out of his own quarters, but it was mostly for show. "April's going to ask her to be maid of honor. And I've been hearing some interesting things about you through the grapevine today. Thought it'd be a good bet you'd be here, not in the mess." He dropped onto the couch gracelessly, and grabbed a taco off of Jim's plate. Jim made a face, but didn't protest.

"Damn, have I really been that bad?" he asked, mostly rhetorically.

McCoy shrugged. "Enough that people have noticed. So what's up? And don't try to say nothing."

Jim made a face, turning his attention to the half-eaten dinner in his lap. He really wasn't that hungry.

McCoy waited patiently, knowing that he would get better results that way. He went to the replicator and got himself some dinner, before returning to the couch and digging in. He was nearly done when Jim finally spoke, voice soft as he hesitantly told his best friend what he had learned from Chris the night before.

McCoy listened in growing horror, and when Jim fell silent, he let out a low growl. "Shit," he muttered. "What can I do?"

Jim shrugged. "Chris is handling it. I'm just trying not to think about it." He grimaced. "I kind of went off on Jon earlier today. That's probably what you've been hearing about." He looked up, and McCoy nodded. There had been a few rumors circulating about a yelling match between Jim and the Admiral behind closed doors. He thought it had probably been exaggerated at least a little.

"So… not handling it so much?" he asked lightly. Jim glared at him, but after a moment, he slumped slightly and nodded, looking down.

"Mostly I just hate that he waited almost three weeks to tell me." Jim's expression was pained and his voice sounded lost. "I thought I could trust him to tell me things like this. I thought he trusted me."

"I'm sure he does, Jim," McCoy had to be the voice of reason, though he was feeling pretty miffed at the Admiral as well, just for how he had made his best friend feel. Because he had made his best friend start doubting himself. "It's probably got the Admiralty pretty busy. Maybe he just hasn't had the time?"

Jim rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, I know," he agreed, sounding defeated. "And I get it, I do. I just hate that I had to find out from Chris, and that was only because he wanted to know if I had been told yet." He shook himself off and set his uneaten meal aside, picking up his PADD instead. "Anyway, I'll try not to let it show tomorrow. Chances of us actually running into him are pretty limited." He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Chances of the  _Yorktown_  finding him even if they're looking aren't much better."

McCoy hated it, but he did think Jim had a point. It was a pretty big universe out there. Knowing that Jim was done talking about this, he set his own clean plate aside and pulled a PADD out of his bag, focusing on the reports from his department that he needed to read and sign off on, before they would be sent to Jim.

The two worked in silence for a while, but it was comfortable. They had spent many evenings like this in the past, sometimes joined by Carol and April doing their own work.

It was nearly time for McCoy to leave if he wanted to make it back to his room at a decent hour to actually get some sleep, when the Captain finally broke the silence.

"Carol and I fixed things."

McCoy looked up, startled. He smiled lightly, and set his PADD down. "That's good," he replied. "So no more pining like a lost puppy?"

Jim looked over and glared. "I don't pine," he retorted. McCoy just kept smiling. Jim's glare intensified. "I don't," he insisted, and then turned his gaze back to his PADD, sulking lightly. McCoy chuckled. Annoyed, Jim rolled his eyes. "I actually proposed again."

McCoy raised an eyebrow, smile disappearing. He didn't speak though, and Jim looked up again. This time, he was the one smiling. "Don't worry, she said yes this time."

The doctor let out a breath of air and smiled again. "That's great, Jim. Congratulations."

Jim's own smile widened. "Thanks. We're keeping it quiet for now. The whole prison break, and… other things," he stopped himself from mentioning the Klingon peace treaty, "it's just not the right time to officially announce it. We're going to tell our friends, but we want to keep it out of the rumor mill for now."

McCoy frowned at the stumble, but he nodded readily. "I won't say anything," he promised.

"Thanks."

The doctor put his PADD away and stood up, groaning as a few joints popped back into place. "I should get going. Don't beat yourself up about Kodos, and seriously Jim, I'm so happy for you and Carol. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Jim nodded quickly. "Yeah. Now go get some sleep old man," he grinned.

McCoy growled. "I'm not old."

Jim just kept grinning. "When you groan when you stand up, I think that's a qualifier for old."

McCoy huffed, but didn't deign to respond, and just made for the door. It swished shut to the sound of Jim laughing, and as annoyed as he was at the comment, McCoy still smiled. At least Jim was feeling better, even if it was at his expense.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days passed easily. Carol, upon her return to their room that evening, told Jim that the rest of the command crew were aware of the prison break. Jim wasn't thrilled, but he understood that she had had to tell them something, and it wasn't exactly confidential – at least, Chris hadn't told him not to tell anyone. The Klingon news was what they really needed to keep quiet. He should probably have Carol sign the nondisclosure agreement as well, come to think of it, now that she knew.

As the days continued to fly by, Jim became more relaxed; no one was treating him differently, and the concerned looks had dropped to nearly nonexistent as they now had a reason for his out of character behavior. He was approached by each of his friends individually, asking if there was anything they could do. But when he said no, they left it alone and moved on.

Jim did have private conversations with Chekov, Kevin, and April, all of whom were horrified and angry at the idea of Kodos once more on the loose. None of them blamed Jim of course, but there were some swears directed at the prison planet guards for letting him escape, Admiral Archer for waiting so long to contact Jim, and of course, the man himself for continuing to exist and be a thorn in their sides.

Jim promised them updates as he got them, and they all agreed to move on and let the  _Yorktown_  do its job. They had their own mission, and a whole lot of unchartered space to explore. They had been drifting back towards gamma quadrant lately, to be closer to the Klingons for when they began the process of putting a new treaty to writing. A lot of the border planets had been left unexplored, wary of possible Klingon presence. While they didn't have an official mission to chart this area of space, the Admirals had suggested it as a way to keep them within communication range of the Klingons, and to allow for easier communication between the  _Enterprise_ and Earth. Official communication channels made it possible to contact ships even in the furthest reaches of space, but the further out a ship was, the longer the communication lag, and the more risk there was of something disrupting the frequency.

Of course, Jim, Spock, and Uhura were the only ones who knew why they had chosen this particular area of space to spend their time, but it was an exciting adventure for the rest of them nonetheless. Unmapped space, new planets, exactly what they had signed up for.

They had been there for approximately three months, when Jim finally felt like they had a working draft they could send to the Klingons. He had worked tirelessly with his team on the ship, as well as Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab, to put together something that hit on the most important requests from the Admirals, while also taking into consideration what the Klingons were or were not likely to agree on. It also had to please the other Federation races, which was why the three ambassadors were included. Many meetings had descended to nothing more than heated arguing where very little got done.

It was interesting for Jim to watch Spock and his father work together during these meetings. He had talked to Spock briefly to make sure there would be no issues with the two of them on the team, but hadn't been surprised when the Vulcan immediately replied negatively. Jim wasn't entirely certain, but he chose to believe his First Officer. Spock was capable of separating professional from personal, and if he had any issues, Jim knew he wouldn't let it affect what they were trying to do. There were moments: some intense staring contests and thinly veiled rebukes had been thrown across the subspace frequencies when Spock sided on the side of Starfleet rather than Vulcan, and Spock's mouth tended to twist downward slightly at times when Sarek refused to acquiesce to some of their own suggestions.

But they had persevered, and finally had something to show for it. Jim sent it to the Admirals for approval before they would approach the Klingons to begin what was likely to be a months-long debate over subspace frequencies. Because while the Federation was working on their treaty, the Klingons would be putting together their own list of requirements. They would then come together and work to combine the two in a way that would please both parties the most.

Jim was anticipating a lot of arguments in his future. He could already imagine the message he would get from Admiral Kawaoki, demanding to know why he had ignored their list of requirements. But they had put Jim in charge, which meant they had to trust him to use his own judgement at times, even if it meant leaving out some requests that would have no chance of being accepted by the Klingons.

Until they got a reply from the Admirals, they couldn't move forward, so Jim threw himself into the exploration. He had participated in several away teams, though so far all of the planets they had explored had been deserted.

The days blended together in a haze of away teams beaming down to planets, work and experiments conducted in labs on the ship, and evenings spent among friends either in the mess hall or any of the recreation rooms or observation decks. Any combination of the command crew and their closest friends were prone to gathering together to enjoy those evenings, discussing Federation news or their own successes or failures with whatever tasks they were working on at the moment.

"Have you heard about the new space station?" Uhura asked one evening, from her position lying against Spock on one small sofa in a private observation deck at the end of the hallway where Command Crew quarters were situated.

Jim, Carol, McCoy, April, Scotty, and Kevin were there as well. Chekov and Sulu had begged out, as Sulu was currently conducting some sort of experiment in the botany labs and he had cajoled Chekov into joining him for the evening. Joanna was at a sleepover so was also absent.

Jim glanced up from his PADD at the Communications officer's question, and nodded. "It's being called a technological marvel," he replied, rolling his eyes. "At least, that's what the media is saying. Not that I disagree, it's an entire city built in space. I can't wait to visit."

McCoy huffed. "Why would anyone want to live in a place like that?" he grumbled. "Nowhere to escape when it all inevitably goes wrong. If we do visit, I'm staying on the ship."

Jim grinned. "Never thought I'd hear you advocating for ship life, Bones." McCoy glared at him, Kevin snorted, Scotty chuckled, and Jim shrugged. "Whatever your personal feelings, it's a huge push forward for the Federation. It's a completely neutral location, built specifically so that no one race or planet can claim ownership."

McCoy crossed his arms and scowled. "Still," he muttered, "not worth it in my opinion."

April reached over and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry," she promised, "I'll protect you."

Jim and Scotty both laughed, while Uhura smiled and even Spock appeared to be fighting amusement. Kevin looked like he wanted to join in, but wasn't altogether certain the doctor wouldn't find some way to murder him in his sleep, so he just bit his lip and tried to maintain a straight face. McCoy just looked irritated.

"I have been informed Starfleet has come to a decision on a name," Spock stated, believing that the doctor would not appreciate continued jokes being made at his expense. He had definitely grown into his human side over the years, and one example of that was understanding when someone wanted the subject to be changed.

Jim nodded, knowing what Spock was doing, and agreeing that the doctor looked one bad joke away from blowing up. "Yeah, they finally made the decision a couple days ago. They're decommissioning the  _Yorktown_ , and naming the new station after it."

Carol frowned in confusion. "Why are they decommissioning the  _Yorktown_  now?" she asked curiously. "They're not done with their mission yet, are they?"

Jim shook his head. "Still a couple years to go. Nothing's changing with the crew," he informed them. "They're just retiring the ship and reassigning all personnel to the new starship series. The  _USS Parks_  will be the first one to be space worthy, but they're going to be slowly moving all existing crews to the new series over the next five years or so."

Carol looked at him, excited. "This is your new design, right? The one you and the design team have been working on for over the last three years?"

Jim smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We finished the specs about eight months ago, and they've been busy building ever since. The  _Parks_  will be ready to fly in about two months.  _Yorktown_ 's making its final voyage back to Earth right now."

"That's awesome, Jim," April chimed in. "You must be thrilled."

Jim settled back in his seat and threw an arm across the back of the couch. Carol, next to him, leaned into his side. "I am," he acknowledged, "I'm looking forward to having more free time, definitely."

Carol smirked slightly, expression telling everyone that she was looking forward to that as well.

McCoy rolled his eyes, looking at the two of them. He wondered how long they were going to keep their relationship status change a secret. To his knowledge, he and Pike were currently the only ones who knew, and it had been months.

Uhura was also watching the couple with a keen eye. She was so glad they had worked through whatever argument they had had a few months ago. That had been an awkward time for everyone; more so because no one had had any idea what was going on. Well, McCoy seemed to know, but he had kept his mouth shut and refused point blank to answer any of them when they had asked. It was their mess, and they had to clean it up, he would reply brusquely, usually while handling a hypo and with a definite gleam in his eye that told whoever asked that he was planning where best to stick it.

The Communications Officer's eyes narrowed as she took in the necklace that had come out from underneath Carol's shirt – a low cut v-neck with a logo from a twenty-first century TV show that Uhura remembered giving the woman on her last birthday. Carol was a closet nerd, and owned the entire series (one season, but still) of Firefly – complete with the director's commentary. She made a point of watching it at least once a year. Uhura knew that because she and Jim had both been roped into joining her more than once.

But that necklace… it was a rather interesting pendant. If Uhura wasn't mistaken…

"Carol, why are you wearing an engagement ring around your neck?"

Everyone's head snapped up at that. Carol immediately looked down and saw that the necklace was visible. She immediately stuffed it back underneath her shirt, but the damage was done. She and Jim shared a look, before the latter grimaced and shrugged.

Carol sighed and sat up. She took the necklace off and slipped the ring out of the chain, sliding it onto her finger. There really wasn't much point in hiding it. The reasons they had had all those months ago just didn't seem worth it anymore.

April shook her head. "How long?" she asked curiously.

Jim bit his lip. "A couple months?" he replied weakly.

Uhura frowned. "You've been engaged for months and you didn't tell us?" her voice squeaked at the end, showing her hurt and confusion.

Carol immediately leaned forward. "I'm sorry," she paused and glanced at Jim again. " _We're_  sorry," she amended. "We were going to tell you all, but then Kodos escaped, and we just thought we should keep it quiet for moment. And then we just got used to no one knowing. We didn't mean to keep you all in the dark."

Jim nodded in agreement. "Really, it wasn't anything against you. We should have told you months ago, but life just got… crazy," he finished lamely.

It really shouldn't have gone on this long. First it had just been Kodos, and then things with the design team had picked up as they entered the last few months of building the new ship, and working on the Klingon treaty, and telling everyone about him and Carol had just… fallen to the side.

"While I cannot appreciate your deception, even if it was by omission, I would nevertheless like to offer my congratulations," Spock stated evenly. "Have you considered when you plan to conduct the ceremony?"

Jim shook his head. "I promised Chris I wouldn't do it without him, so it might have to wait a while," he admitted.

"So even Pike knew before us," Uhura grumbled, still looking displeased.

"To be fair, he kind of interrupted my proposal," Jim grumbled, crossing his arms. "It's not like I went out of my way to tell him."

Uhura didn't look any less upset, and Carol sighed. "I'm sorry, Nyota. But like Jim said, we don't have a timeline. We haven't even started to plan yet, and you know I'll want your help with that." Uhura still didn't look satisfied. Carol frowned slightly. "Nyota, you're like a sister to me. Please don't be angry."

Uhura crossed her arms and leveled a serious look at the woman. "I'm not angry," she finally replied. "I'm a little hurt, but I guess I can get over it. As long as I get to be a bridesmaid."

Carol nodded immediately. "Who else would I ask to be my maid of honor?" she said. Uhura looked surprised, but didn't get a chance to reply as Carol suddenly threw a guiltily look at April. "Not that I don't consider you a great friend as well," she started, but April cut her off.

"I get it," the doctor assured her.

"We haven't planned anything, but I do want you to be my bridesmaid," Carol said.

April smiled. "I'd be honored. As long as you'll be one of mine as well."

Carol beamed. "Of course!"

April then looked at Uhura. "You too?"

Uhura finally smiled. "I'd love to." She looked at Carol. "And I'd be thrilled to be your maid of honor."

"Shouldn't we have a date before we start planning these things?" McCoy asked, wondering what the hell had happened between the three women. One minute, Uhura was up in arms about being left in the dark, the next, all three of them were seconds away from crying.

April glared at him. "It hadn't even been twelve hours since you asked me when you asked Jim to be your best man. Now be quiet, the girls are talking."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "He made it a condition of giving me his approval to ask you in the first place." April's glare only intensified, and McCoy held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

April nodded decisively and turned back to Carol. "Let's see the ring then." She, Uhura, and Carol then moved off to one side, all clustered around Carol's hand as they admired the ring.

Jim, Spock, and McCoy watched them, amused and a little confused. Finally, Jim just shook his head and stood up. "It's late and I've got an early morning call with the Admiralty tomorrow. I'll see you guys later."

McCoy, Spock, Kevin, and Scotty nodded, and began making moves to head back to their rooms themselves. Carol just waved to show she had heard, and Uhura and April ignored him completely, still admiring the ring.

Jim sighed, shook his head again, and left the OD.

**XXX**

A few days later, they were just about to wrap up their study of the current planet they had docked above, when Uhura picked up on a distress call from a Federation colony. Jim had her play it on the large view screen so they could all hear it.

There was a lot of static, but they could easily pick up the panic in the man's voice. "Starfleet, come in! Please, we need assistance. Federation science colony Deneva… malfunction in the labs… lost power… multiple wounded… missing… please send help…"

Jim kept his expression carefully blank as he straightened in his seat. "Sulu, Chekov, plot a course for Deneva. ETA?"

Sulu laid in the course quickly. "Nine hours, Captain."

Jim nodded curtly. "Let's get going. Spock, you have the con. I'll be in my ready room."

He levered himself out of the chair and disappeared into the small room off to one side of the Bridge. Once he was alone, he dropped into the seat behind his desk and groaned loudly into his arms.

Damn it, it had to be Deneva? The last time he had seen his brother had been through a vid screen as Sam tried to… apologize? Jim wasn't sure what that call had been about, maybe some sort of misplaced guilt over the way Jim's life had gone after he had left. He hadn't wanted to hear it, and had ended the transmission.

But that didn't mean he hadn't been keeping track of Sam all these years. He was angry, sure. Pissed might be a better word. After Sam had told him he didn't want him in his life when Jim had tracked him down on Deneva when he was a teenager, he hadn't wanted to be tied to that life anymore. But Sam was still his brother, and he still wanted to make sure he was OK. No matter how they felt about each other, Jim just couldn't completely cut himself off.

So Jim knew Sam was still on Deneva. It was probable that no one else would understand the significance of this. No one would understand what was going through his head. Very few people knew Jim even had a brother, and of those, Jon might be the only one who actually knew where he was living. As head of Fleet Operations, and since Deneva was a Federation science colony, Jon would have approved any new hires over the last few decades.

Jim ran a hand distractedly through his hair, and forced himself to push any and all negative thoughts behind a wall in his mind. He couldn't worry about Sam right now. He couldn't wonder what might happen if he suddenly found himself face to face with his brother for the first time in over a decade. He couldn't wonder about how he might not even get that chance.

Two more deep breaths, and then Jim stood back up, making his way back to the Bridge. Spock dutifully stood up, vacating the Captain's chair and heading back to his own seat at the science station.

Jim sat down. "Uhura, send a message to Command, apprise them of the situation. Let them know we're on our way, and will provide further updates as we get them." Uhura nodded, typing quickly. Jim swallowed. "Then try contacting Deneva. Send out an acknowledgement of the distress call, and try and get someone to answer. We need to know what's going on now, and how bad things are."

Uhura nodded again. "Yes, sir."

A few minutes passed in silence, and then Uhura turned around. "Messages sent, Captain. No one on Deneva is answering. I'm transmitting continually on multiple frequencies, in the hopes they manage to fix communications and respond."

Jim inclined his head. "Good. Here's hoping we can get a better picture of what we're dealing with before we arrive."

**XXX**

The next few hours passed in a tense concern. Engineering, Security, and Medical were all alerted to the situation, and prepared teams to beam down to assist.

Jim worked very hard to keep his own personal stake in this matter to himself, and was mostly successful. Carol knew immediately that something was wrong, but he had already decided he should probably tell her anyway – it wasn't the best idea to keep secrets from his fiancée.

A quiet conversation in private, and Carol was understandably concerned, both for the man who would one day be her brother-in-law and for the situation it was putting her fiancé in.

Uhura continued to send messages out, but it wasn't until they were only a couple hours out that they finally received a response. From the call sign, it was a personal communicator and not an official one, but contact was contact.

"This is Captain Kirk of the  _USS Enterprise_ , to whom am I speaking?" Jim asked, voice level as he stared at the screen in front of him. It was a shaky image, filled with dust and fallen debris.

The man on the screen didn't look much better than the room around him. There was a gash on his forehead, and his shirt was covered in what Jim hoped was only dirt and not blood – it was a dark shirt though, and parts of it looked suspiciously damp.

Still, he looked incredibly relieved to have actually reached someone. "Thank God," he exclaimed. "I'm Doctor Mitchell Sanchez. We're trapped in the basement, we have been for hours. Please tell me you're on your way to help?"

Jim nodded quickly. "We're about two hours out. How many are with you?"

Sanchez looked around. "There's about a dozen of us down here. I think there are some other groups in different parts of the complex, but we haven't been able to get out, and believe me, we've tried."

Jim frowned. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Sanchez grimaced. "The power grid blew. I think one of our experiments overloaded it, which wouldn't have been too bad, but it set off a chain reaction in both our research buildings. It was like a bomb going off, we were completely blindsided. And then the back-up generators started to fail. We've been sitting here in the dark for the last seven hours."

Jim bit his lip. Do any of you have engineering skills?"

Sanchez shook his head. "Most of our engineers were in the other building." He looked around at the others trapped with him. When they all shook their heads indicating their lack of skills, he grimaced and looked back at his comm. "Sorry, all of us here are scientists. I could probably change a light bulb, but not much more."

Jim sighed. "Ok then. I know this isn't easy. We'll be there soon, but let's see if we can start fixing things now. You're in the basement right? I'm assuming that's where the generator is? Or does the complex run on communal generators?"

Sanchez shook his head. "The main buildings have their own. I'm looking at it right now, but it's completely dead."

Jim frowned. "Can you point the communicator at it? Let me see what I'm working with."

Sanchez looked puzzled, but obliged. Jim studied what he could see of the machine. "Show me the fuel cell?" he asked. Sanchez flashed his face briefly, looking confused, and Jim allowed himself a small smile. "It should be off to one side, there will be a glass tube that'll show some liquid. This will tell me whether the generator has fuel to run."

Sanchez nodded, and the video panned over the machine for a moment, finally coming to rest on a large glass tube.

Jim let out a breath of air. "OK, looks like the fuel's good. So that's not an issue. Can you take the front panel off? There should be a release on either side."

Two more figures entered the screen, a Terran woman and a male Jim recognized as Andorian. They worked together for a minute to remove the panel, setting it off to one side as Sanchez moved closer to show Jim the inner workings of the machine.

Jim studied the image closely, looking for any potential issues. This would be much easier if he was there, but they were still an hour and a half away. "Looks like everything's been kept up," he muttered, frowning. "Can you pull out that filter on the right? The one with the handle." Sanchez immediately complied, and Jim's frown deepened. "Not clogged, so that's not the issue."

Sanchez let out a soft moan. "So what's wrong?" he asked, putting the filter back and trying not to sound like he was whining. This was a Starfleet Captain, Captain of the flagship no less. If circumstances were less dire, he might have felt honored that the flagship was on its way to save them.

Jim's gaze narrowed. "Do you have anything there you can use to make a charge?" he asked abruptly.

Sanchez looked around wildly. "I don't think so."

One of the other scientists shifted forward. "Mitch, there should be a first aid kit around here somewhere." She looked down at the screen. "Captain, would a defibrillator work?"

Jim immediately nodded. "Perfect."

Everyone except for Sanchez immediately jumped into action, looking for the promised device.

A few minutes later, the Andorian scientist who had helped remove the front panel let out a shout of triumph. "Got it!"

He quickly ran back to the generator, handing Sanchez the AED.

Jim grinned. "All right, Sanchez. I'm going to walk you through this. Let me know if something doesn't make sense or if you get stuck, all right?"

Sanchez nodded, and handed the communicator to the woman standing next to him. She dutifully held it up so that it showed both the generator and Sanchez.

The crew on the Bridge of the  _Enterprise_ watched in stunned awe as Jim walked the confused scientist through stripping wires, crossing paths, and connecting the AED.

Finally, Jim sat back in his seat. "That should do it. Now Sanchez, I need you to take the paddle and press the charge button. When it beeps, press it again."

Sanchez grit his teeth, praying that this would work. He had no idea what he had just done, but Captain Kirk seemed certain enough. He spared a millisecond to wonder why it was the Captain talking him through this, and why he hadn't gotten one of his engineers up to the Bridge to do so instead. But the moment passed, and he pressed the button.

It charged and beeped. And Sanchez pressed it again. There was a high pitched screech, and then the generator started rumbling.

A moment later, the lights flickered and turned on.

The scientists cheered, and Sanchez grinned. "It worked! I have no idea how, but thank you!"

Jim smiled, relieved. "A generator is like a giant magnet. Sometimes it loses its charge, but shocking it can do the same thing for a magnet that it can do for a human heart." He shook his head, amused. "I've got a background in engineering, including mechanical engineering. I spent years learning how to do this stuff."

"Macgyvering your way out of situations like this?" Sanchez shook his head. "I'm grateful for the help, however you learned it!"

Jim shrugged. "We'll be there in a little over an hour. Now that the power's on, can you get out of the basement?"

Sanchez looked over at the door along the far wall. "As long as the building's still stable and the door isn't blocked on the other side. We should be able to open the electronic lock now, at least."

Jim frowned. "Maybe you should all stay put for the time being. Wait for us to get you out. I know it's the last thing you want to do, but better safe than sorry, right?"

Sanchez didn't look happy, and the others looked similarly ready to leave, but they did at least understand why Jim thought it would be better not to.

Jim was about to speak again, when the video flickered. His brow furrowed. "Sanchez? Are you still there?"

Sanchez held the communicator up, trying to get a better signal. "Captain, I think I'm losing you. The signal's weakened. Captain?"

There was no reply. The view of the Bridge of the  _Enterprise_  flickered and then went dark.


	6. Chapter 6

 

Jim remained tense for the remaining hour of their journey. They had tried hailing Doctor Sanchez again, but either the signal had gone dark, or his battery had died. In any case, he hadn't picked up, and no one else had responded to any of their calls over the multiple frequencies.

Finally, Sulu let them know they would be there in a few minutes.

Jim immediately stood up. "Good, park us above the planet. Uhura, let our teams know to meet us in the transporter room. Spock, you have the con."

Jim left quickly, while Uhura turned back to her console and Spock surrendered the science chair to his replacement so that he could take Jim's seat instead.

**XXX**

Jim met the Medical, Engineering, and Security teams in the transporter room. McCoy and April were there along with five nurses, a third of the  _Enterprise'_ s Medical staff. Scotty was leading the Engineering team – a group of ten. Security was headed up by Lieutenant Hendorff, who had risen in the ranks to second in command of the Security department. He was bringing a group of eight down first, but a second team was also in the room and ready to go – they would need the man power to start digging survivors out once the first team declared it safe for everyone else to beam down.

Jim nodded in silent greeting, before barking out orders. "Hendorff, you and your team will go first; secure the area, then give us the signal. We'll beam everyone else down once you give the all clear."

Hendorff inclined his head and pulled his phaser out. The rest of his group followed suit. "Yes, Captain," he replied, before they moved to the transporter pad.

Jim took the few minutes of silence after the group disappeared to gather his emotions once more. No matter what he found down there, he was a Starfleet Captain. He had to be in control.

"All clear," Hendorff's call was welcome to everyone in the room. "There are a few people outside, trying to dig out some of the buildings. We're ready for you when you arrive, Captain."

"Acknowledged," Jim responded. He glanced around at the group. "Medical first, with me. Then Engineers, Security you'll follow. Thirty second intervals. Let's move."

Jim made his way to the transporter pad, with McCoy, April, and the nurses following quickly behind.

They beamed down and immediately moved to the side, following their first team to the nearby survivors they could clearly see sitting on the ground outside one of the destroyed buildings. Looking around, they could see that the damage was focused in two areas – a set of machinery off to one side that Jim recognized as the power source for the colony, still smoking slightly from the explosion that had caused it to fail, and two large buildings in the center of the community.

Jim greeted the two strangers, and saw their obvious relief as they almost wilted in their seats.

McCoy was quick to hand out protein bars and bottles of water that he and the other Medical staff had carried down in their packs.

"Thank you so much," one said, taking the food and drink eagerly. "We haven't been able to restore communications at all, not that either of us really had an idea how to do that anyway; we weren't sure anyone was coming."

Jim frowned. "We got a distress call a few hours ago, and immediately headed out to lend a hand. We were talking to a Doctor Sanchez on a personal comm., but lost the signal about an hour ago."

Both looked relieved to hear that there were other survivors.

Jim took a seat. "Can you tell us what happened? Sanchez said the power grid blew."

The man nodded quickly, introducing himself as Doctor Eric Aronson and his colleague as Doctor Amy Hilel, before explaining the situation. "One of our experiments went wrong. It overloaded the system, and the backup systems didn't come online when they were supposed to. It started a fire that went unnoticed, we didn't even realize there was anything wrong until the grid blew. That's when the buildings started to collapse. Most of the team was inside when it happened, I haven't seen anyone come out, and we haven't made any progress in moving any of this rubble. We're not a mining colony, we just don't have the machinery."

Jim nodded, and gestured for Scotty and his team to start working. "I brought some Engineers," he explained. "They'll figure out a way to get in. In the meantime, have you managed to communicate with anyone inside?"

Aronson shrugged. "We heard some yelling, but none of our communicators are working. All we have are our personal comms, the only stationary ones are located in the central control room, which is in that building," he pointed to the one they had been trying to enter when Jim and his team had arrived. Already it looked like Scotty, with his crew and the tools they had brought down, had made some progress. "I think all the damage obstructed any signal, and there was another building collapse a couple hours ago that probably took out the server room. That would have knocked out any communications on or off planet even without the debris that blocked us."

Jim nodded again, frowning in thought. They were lucky they had managed to get a distress signal out, and that the  _Enterprise_ had gotten close enough to receive Sanchez's call before the secondary collapse.

"Scotty, report?" he called out.

The Scotsman barely glanced back at his Captain. "Working on it, sir! We should be able to get through, might take a while though."

"ETA?"

Scotty pursed his lips, taking a few seconds to study the pile of rubble. "Maybe an hour or two?"

Jim sighed. "All right. Don't let me hold you up. Hendorff, why don't you guys start moving some of the smaller pieces. Free Scotty up to deal with the big stuff."

Hendorff immediately started dispersing his team to both buildings, clearing off any debris they could pick up, setting it off to the side and out of the way.

That done, Jim turned to McCoy. "You guys set up out of the way, we don't know how many injured or how bad they are, so prep the tent however you think is best."

The doctors and nurses nodded and got to work.

Now alone with the two survivors, Jim bit his lip, suddenly uncertain. "Doctor Aronson, do you have a list of colony members who are missing?"

Aronson shook his head. "Captain, I can name them all, we're not that large a colony. There's thirty-five people missing. Other than the two of us, we have three in the clinic – Doctor Blazig was there with Elise and Richard. Elise has the Andorian flu, and Richard went in early this morning to get treated for a burn. They weren't anywhere near the buildings that were damaged. We told them to stay put, there wasn't really anything any of them could do." He turned to his colleague. "Can you let them know we've got company?"

Doctor Hilel nodded and immediately left towards a smaller building a short distance away. There was a clear 'clinic' sign hanging over the doorframe.

Jim considered briefly what he was about to ask, before deciding to throw caution to the wind. "Do you know anything about Sam Kirk's status?"

Aronson frowned in confusion, but shook his head. "No, sir. I think he was in the main building when it collapsed, but I'm not positive."

Jim nodded slightly, trying not to let his disappointment show. "That's all right. I figured."

Aronson tilted his head to one side. "If you don't mind me asking, Captain, how do you know Sam? Not to pry or anything, but I've worked with him for a while, he's a pretty good friend."

Jim blinked, startled, and then realized he hadn't actually introduced himself. He and his crew were pretty well known throughout the Federation, but Deneva was pretty far removed, so it was possible they hadn't gotten blasted with the same headlines and news as the rest of the universe. "Sorry," he apologized, "I'm Jim Kirk. Sam's my brother."

Aronson leaned back slightly, surprised. After a moment, his eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "I should have recognized you." Jim shrugged, gaze shifting to the side. Then again, maybe Deneva had gotten the memo. He was surprised then, when Aronson followed it up with, "I've seen that picture of you and your brother enough times on Sam's desk. I mean, you're both kids in the photo, but you guys look a lot alike."

Jim was stunned into silence. He had come to visit Sam when he was a teenager, and the older man had told him to get lost. Sure, he had called Jim a few years later, ostensibly looking to make amends and form a relationship, but Jim hadn't been ready to hear it. Nothing about their relationship ever made Jim think Sam might want to showcase his brother. A picture of the two of them that Sam kept on his desk?

Aronson could see that this news was startling to the Captain, but he wasn't sure why. He had three siblings, and multiple photos of all of them and their families practically covered his workspace.

Despite his confusion, he still felt duty-bound to tell the Captain about his brother. "Sam talks about you a lot. He says you're brilliant, and could probably put us all out of a job if you put your mind to it," he grinned.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Bioengineering and microbiology aren't really my thing," he assured the other man. "I'm more into mechanical engineering and warp technology. Your job's safe."

Aronson's grin just widened. "Good to know. He also loves to talk about you out there, saving the universe. He was so proud when you made Captain."

Jim bit his lip. Had Sam really been following his career so closely? Seeing that the doctor was looking at him in confusion and concern, he offered up a shrug. "There's been a lot of tension in our family. Sam and I haven't talked much in the last few years."

Aronson nodded slowly. "Yeah, Sam mentioned something like that, once." He glanced around for a moment, seeing that they were alone. All of the Starfleet personnel were busy, and Hilel was still in the clinic. Looking back at Jim, he sighed. "He'd probably hate me for talking about this, but I could tell he had some big regrets. Ever since he started working here, something's been eating at him. I don't know what happened between you two, and really it's not any of my business. But maybe it's time you two sat down and talked it out."

Jim grimaced. He turned his gaze back to the ruined buildings a short distance away. "Let's hope we get the chance to make that decision," he replied softly, before heading over to where Scotty and the Engineers were working to clear a way in to the building on the left. He joined in with the Security team to help however he could.

It took over an hour, and everyone moving rubble away from the entrance, but finally Scotty let out a triumphant shout as he broke through. "Got it!"

Jim looked at the small entrance. "Scanners?" he asked, turning back to his Chief Engineer.

Scotty looked at his crew. One of them pulled out a scanning device and handed it over. Scotty studied the machine for a moment. "Hallway on the other side looks clear. I'm seeing some small fires, but most of it looks contained. Anything big worth burning has probably already burned out."

"Life signs?" Jim asked next.

Scotty furrowed his brow, still looking at the machine. "Faint heat signatures coming from what's probably the basement? A few more on maybe the… second floor?" It was hard to tell given the state of the building. It could be the third floor, or even the first with all the debris.

Jim nodded. "Easiest path?"

Scotty looked back at the Captain. "There's a stairway off to the left once we get inside. Might have to clear the stairs in a few places, but it doesn't look like anything that'll need more than your hands. The ones on the second floor might be more difficult. There's a lot of damage in there, looks like."

Jim turned to the Security team. "Half of Security, come with me. We'll take the basement. Hendorff, take the rest and work with Scotty on clearing a path to the other life signs in the building. The rest of Engineering, work on gaining entry to the second building." He raised his voice so that it would reach the medical tent that had been erected. "Doctor Vanderbilt, Nurse Billows, you're with me. Bones, go with Scotty."

The three medical professionals exited the tent, each carrying a small bag filled with hopefully enough supplies to help any injuries they came across.

Jim led his team through the small opening, and to the stairs. He nodded once at Hendorff, and then the two groups separated.

It was a cautious trip down a long flight of stairs. They did have to slow down twice to clear a path through the debris, but Scotty was correct that it was all easily manageable and didn't delay them too long. When they finally reached the bottom, it was to find that the ceiling had caved in, completely blocking off entrance to the basement.

This would take them much longer to clear, and they all moved forward immediately to start moving chunks of concrete and plaster away.

It took almost an hour to clear away enough to be able to reach the door, and when they entered, there was an immediate cry of relief coming from several of the dirt-covered bodies on the floor.

A couple surged to their feet, while still more looked too exhausted to move.

Jim gestured for April and Nurse Billows to get started checking the scientists out, while he moved over to the largest group of survivors. He recognized the man in front as Sanchez, and it looked like Sanchez recognized him as well.

"Captain Kirk!" he slumped slightly in relief. "Thank god."

Jim smiled reassuringly. "Let's get you all out of here."

No one had any issues with that, and any who could struggled to their feet. The few who were left sitting looked too injured to be able to move on their own, so April and Billows concentrated there. They patched up what they could, and Security officers moved forward to help get them out of the basement.

It was a much slower trip upstairs, taking into account all the injuries, and Jim was happy to hand them off to McCoy who had returned to the medical tent outside once they had started bringing bodies out – he had sent one of the nurses in his place to continue helping Scotty.

Jim could already see several makeshift beds filled, and had noticed a few more dirty scientists loitering around outside, eating protein bars and drinking from water bottles.

"How many?" he asked McCoy quietly.

The doctor glanced up from where he was currently trying to clamp a bleed on a man's lower leg. "Seven brought out so far," he replied. "Four injured in here, the rest suffering from dehydration and minor breathing issues from inhaling the dust for hours. They'll be fine soon enough."

Jim nodded. A quick glance at those inside and the rest outside, and his stomach twisted slightly. Sam wasn't here. "Scotty?"

McCoy jerked his head at the tent's door. "Working with his team to gain entry to the second building. Team from Security's still searching the first one, looking for any more survivors."

Jim didn't bother replying, knowing that the medical crew would have its hands full. He just left the tent and headed over to see how he could help.

Seeing that it would take a while to get through, Jim took the opportunity to contact the ship and brief Spock. It was heartening to know that so far, they hadn't found any dead bodies yet. Everyone had been pulled out alive, though there were some serious injuries.

"Do you need me to send down replacements, Captain?" Spock inquired. "By my estimation, you have all been on planet for approximately four point seven hours, performing physically intense search and rescue. Should you desire, I will have a replacement team depart immediately."

Jim glanced up, seeing Hendorff standing next to him, waiting for orders. On Jim's inquiring look, the Security officer shook his head. "I'm fine, Captain. I have three officers who could do with a break, they got a little roughed up in a minor collapse while we were digging people out, but the rest of us are fine."

Jim nodded decisively. "Send them back up, and make sure they go to Medical to get checked out." He turned back to the comm. in his hand. "Spock, I'm sending three injured Security officers back up, they're all fine, but they need to report to Medical. Can you send me three replacements?"

The First Officer immediately replied positively. "They will be on site in ten minutes."

Jim sighed, and put the communicator away. He looked back at Hendorff. "Make sure your team is eating and resting enough. I don't want anyone dropping from exhaustion. No superheroes here, if you or anyone else needs to head back to the ship, don't hesitate to let me know."

The Lieutenant nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." He paused briefly, and then offered, "Same should hold for you, too. Sir."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "If I need to take a break, I will."

He didn't wait for a reply, and headed back over to see how Scotty was doing. His nerves seemed to be rising with each passing minute. So far they hadn't found Sam in the first building, and Security hadn't come out with anyone in a while. There had been twelve in the basement, and another seven brought out by the other team. Which meant by Doctor Aronson's estimation, they were still missing sixteen people.

And Sam was one of them.

He threw himself into the rescue efforts, helping Engineering and Security move debris, slowly but surely gaining entry into the second destroyed building. It took another hour and a half, but finally, they managed it.

Once inside, he directed them to head towards the different locations Scotty's scanner had indicated life signs. He and Hendorff ended up pairing off as they headed to the back of the building, joined by two more Security officers. There had been two or three signs of life coming from that direction.

The first one they stumbled upon was an Asian woman who appeared to be dazed but lucid. Her lower leg was trapped by some debris, but prodding around the injury showed no signs of serious damage.

"I think it's just a broken leg," Jim said, looking at Hendorff. "Help me move this," he gestured to the rubble, "and let's get her out of here."

Hendorff nodded, and helped the Captain move a few pieces of concrete. The woman groaned painfully.

Jim let out a deep breath. "Ok, ma'am, there's one more piece here that's going to be a bitch to move. We can probably get it up a couple inches, but we're going to need to pull you out quickly. This is going to hurt."

The woman glared at him. "I've been trapped under this concrete for god knows how long, my leg is broken, and I feel like I'm breathing in glass. Tell me again how it's going to hurt?"

Jim couldn't help but smile. "All right then." He gestured for Hendorff to help him, while the other two officers got ready to move the woman. "One, two, three!"

The two of them lifted as much as they could, and the slab moved minutely. Putting more effort into it, they lifted a little more, and the Security officers were able to slide the woman out. She let out a small scream, but didn't protest as they dragged her out from the rubble.

Jim and Hendorff set the concrete down quickly, and Jim rushed to try and diagnose the injury. Her leg was bruised heavily, but he didn't see any telltale signs of crush injury. "It looks like a bad break," he told her, "but I'm in no way a doctor. Let's get you out here to someone who knows what they're doing, sound good?"

The woman smiled, breathing heavily. "Yeah, really not enjoying the ambiance in here. You should call the decorators and complain."

Jim huffed out a laugh. "I'll get right on that. Higgins," he raised his voice slightly and looked over at the Security officer in question, "take her outside. We'll continue searching."

The woman grabbed at his arm. "There were two more with me. We got separated when the ceiling caved in. We were talking to each other for a while, but I haven't heard anything from them in at least a few hours."

Jim gripped her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "We'll find them."

He gestured again for the Higgins to take the woman outside, and the rest of the team continued further back.

They found another person trapped behind a small cave in that had blocked him in what had once been an office. He was unconscious, but his vital signs were good. Jim had the second Security officer, Ensign Briggs, take him outside.

Another damaged room, another caved in part of the ceiling.

Jim almost tripped over the third life sign they had seen.

The man was trapped up to the chest under a pile of plaster, concrete, and pipes. He was unconscious, face covered in gray dust.

It was Sam.

Jim immediately dropped to his knees and reached out to feel for a pulse. It was weak, but there. He immediately started moving the rubble, trying to free his brother enough to pull him out. Hendorff quickly moved to join him.

Finally, they managed to pull Sam out from the pile of wreckage. Jim immediately started feeling his chest, searching for signs of injury.

Hendorff frowned. "Sir, shouldn't we take him outside?"

Jim didn't glance up. "If we move him and he's got a serious injury, we could just make it worse. Just keep two fingers on his wrist and let me know if his pulse changes."

Pulling up Sam's shirt showed serious bruising around his ribs and abdomen. "Damn it," Jim muttered. Hendorff looked confused, but didn't speak, just continued to monitor the man's vitals.

Jim bit his lip, thinking. Sam probably had broken ribs, but the bruising on his abdomen could indicate internal bleeding and possible organ damage. His hands moved up to probe at Sam's neck, moving down to his back to try and see if there was any sign of spinal damage. It was hard to tell from this angle, and he really wasn't a doctor – a first aid certification and standard Command training did not give him a medical degree. And years of physical abuse as a child only made him confident in assessing his own injuries. He knew the difference between cracked and broken bones because he knew the sharp papercut feel of a cracked bone, and the larger blunt force all-encompassing ache when it was broken.

That didn't help him in trying to figure out how bad someone else's injuries were.

"Captain, I've lost his pulse."

Hendorff's alarmed statement drew Jim back to the present. He reached out and rested two fingers gently over the pulse point in Sam's neck.

Nothing.

Not wasting any more time, he immediately moved to Sam's chest, performing CPR with a single-minded determination.

Hendorff sat back, pulling out his communicator to contact the medical team. He requested a portable gurney, knowing they needed help getting this man out. One of the nurses was the one to respond, since both McCoy and April were busy with other patients, and said she'd be there in a few minutes.

Hendorff signed off and watched his Captain. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked, hoping for a positive response. He didn't do helpless well.

Jim didn't reply, too busy counting in his head. Thirty compressions, two breaths of air, thirty compressions, air…

It felt like forever, but it had only been a couple of minutes, when Sam let out a choked gasp, and started breathing again.

Jim sat back, exhausted but incredibly relieved. He looked up, and Hendorff smiled.

"No superheroes here, huh?" the Lieutenant asked teasingly. "You sure about that?" Jim just looked at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Nurse Hanna is on her way. She's bringing a gurney."

Jim nodded, but Sam stirred slightly, opening his eyes a crack, and Jim shifted forward. "Hey, don't move. You've got a few broken ribs and it looks like a lot of internal bleeding. We're going to get you out, but you need to stay still."

Sam blinked slowly, gaze shifting uncomprehendingly to the man kneeling next to him. He could feel something like a fire in his chest, but there was nothing wrong with his vision, right? Was that really… "Jimmy?"


	7. Chapter 7

The voice was barely louder than a whisper, but Jim and Hendorff both heard it. While the Security officer looked confused, Jim just sighed and nodded.

"Hey, Sam."

Sam closed his eyes, still not believing his brother was actually here.

Any further discussion was interrupted however, as Nurse Hanna arrived, wasting no time in unfolding the portable gurney and gesturing for Jim and Hendorff to help move the patient onto it.

The trio worked as quickly as possible as they moved through the damaged building and outside, heading to the medical tent. They set Sam on an empty bed, and McCoy appeared quickly, waving a tricorder as he assessed the damage.

"He stopped breathing," Jim informed his friend. McCoy glanced up sharply, and nodded. "I did CPR, but he was out for a couple minutes at least."

McCoy frowned. "I'll take it from here, Jim. You go get back to work."

"Bones." It was the strangled tone that caught McCoy's attention, more than the infernal nickname he would never admit had actually grown on him. He looked back up. Jim swallowed harshly, his eyes bright with unshed emotion. If McCoy had to put a name to it, he would call it 'tortured'. "His name's Sam. He's my brother."

McCoy stared. Hendorff, still standing within earshot, let out an aborted gasp and then shuffled backwards apologetically when the doctor glared at him.

McCoy turned back to Jim and nodded understandingly. He knew how strained the relationship between the two was, but no matter the situation or the reasons behind it, Jim would never want his brother dead. "I'll do everything I can," he promised. "Now go get back to work. I'll keep you updated."

Jim didn't look pleased, but he obligingly left the tent. Hendorff followed him out silently.

"I'd appreciate if you kept that to yourself," Jim said suddenly, halting before they got too close to the rest of their crew. Hendorff looked at him questioningly, and Jim sighed. "Things between Sam and I have been… strained. My family's a giant mess, less stable than these buildings," he gestured at the two in question, which looked like they were one strong gust of wind away from falling down completely. Jim shook his head. "I haven't spoken to Sam in about two years, and even that ended with me telling him that I didn't want to try and make amends. I just… I'd rather not have everyone know my personal business, especially when this confrontation goes downhill."

"How are you so sure?" Hendorff asked. "He looked happy enough to see you in there."

Jim grimaced. "He was injured and trapped in a destroyed building. He would have been happy to see anyone. But… it's not his reaction I'm worried about." Hendorff still look confused, and Jim looked away, gaze drawn back to the medical tent. "I'm not so sure I'm ready to forgive him."

He walked away, and Hendorff watched him for another minute, before he shook himself off and followed, getting back to work. It wasn't any of his business, and he would keep his Captain's confidence.

**XXX**

Hours later, and they had done all they could for the survivors. McCoy had taken Sam and two others back to the ship for more treatment. All three had major internal bleeding that needed serious medical intervention.

Jim, along with the Security and Engineering teams had pulled out more survivors, but they hadn't found any more signs of life in the last hour.

They were still missing three.

No one wanted to say it, but their scans weren't picking anything up, and at this point it was looking less like a rescue for those three, and more like a retrieval.

Everyone was exhausted and defeated. Most of them were covered in dust, a few sporting minor scratches or bruises from their rescue attempts.

The Security and Engineering officers had been rotating, teams beaming up every few hours so that fresh officers could come down and continue helping.

Jim and Scotty stayed, as did April, though the nurses also rotated. McCoy came back hours after he had left, telling Jim that all three scientists were resting comfortably and would make full recoveries. He offered for Jim to go back and visit his brother, but Jim refused point blank.

McCoy looked like he wanted to say something, but he knew how complicated things were between the two. He knew about all the bad blood between them, and he remembered that mess of a phone call from a couple years ago, during the whole Kodos fiasco. Jim had to be ready to talk to his brother, and right now, he clearly wasn't.

So he just headed back to the medical tent, and Jim went back to helping with the rescue.

Finally, there didn't seem to be much more they could do but clean up the mess, so Jim pulled some of the less injured scientists aside to discuss plans.

Doctor Aronson agreed that they should take a few days to rest and recover before moving forward, and Jim promised to send more teams down in the morning. They would stay for a few more days, doing as much as they could to help, compiling a list of supplies needed to rebuild. Jim would then pass the request along to Headquarters, and a relief ship would be sent from Earth with everything needed to reestablish the colony.

"We can't thank you enough for your assistance, Captain," Doctor Aronson said, and the other two scientists nodded in agreement.

Jim smiled. "We're happy to help. We'll do all we can to get these buildings stabilized so that they don't collapse before you get your supplies."

Aronson nodded gratefully. "How are Myra, Sam, and Cordelia?" he asked after the three that McCoy had taken up to the ship for more medical assistance.

Jim thought back to the last update he had received from M'Benga. "They're all out of danger," he informed them, seeing them all wilt in relief. "I think they should be good to come back down in the next few days."

"Good. That's good." Aronson looked like a weight had been lifted. "We'll let you get going, you must be exhausted."

Jim was, but he had hoped he was doing a better job of hiding it. Apparently not. Fighting down the embarrassment of being so easily read by someone he didn't know, he just smiled graciously. "I'll leave a Security team down here tonight, just in case. We've also got a few nurses and Doctor Vanderbilt will be staying as well. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to comm. me."

The scientists nodded, and Jim gathered up those of his crew who were heading back to the ship. McCoy was going to stay a little longer, but he would beam back up before it got too late.

**XXX**

Jim studiously avoided Medbay over the next few days. He knew Sam was still there, though his two colleagues had been sent back to the planet's surface after the second day. Sam would be heading back there by the end of the third day, and Jim just hoped they could get through this without the confrontation he so dreaded.

He still wasn't sure where his head was at, and he didn't want to have any conversations with his brother before he figured out his own feelings. He was afraid he might say something that couldn't be taken back, so until he got his own head sorted out it was better not to say anything.

Spock took over with the relief efforts for the second day, claiming that Jim should take the time to coordinate with the Admiralty over getting more supplies out to Deneva.

Jim knew it was because the Vulcan thought he had worked himself too hard in that first day, and he didn't want his Captain and friend to overexert himself anymore. But he decided not to fight too hard, and let his First Officer take charge of the clean-up crews who spent the next two days clearing out the destroyed buildings, working with those scientists who had been released from the medical tent to determine what equipment was salvageable, and what needed to be thrown out and replaced.

It was nearly a week before the  _Enterprise_  felt they could depart. Jim beamed down one more time with a small team to do a final sweep before they officially could sign off on their reports and leave.

He had a final meeting with Doctor Aronson, who seemed to have become the de facto leader of the group of scientists – the man who had been in charge, Doctor Arvin Hallington, had been among the deceased. It had been four days before they had managed to find all three bodies of the missing scientists, and as Jim beamed down that last time, it was easy to see the survivors grieving for their lost colleagues.

Jim was sympathetic, but also relieved. Looking at the damaged buildings now, little more than husks since any equipment and debris had been removed over the last week, it could have been so much worse. Those buildings could have come down at any time before the  _Enterprise_  had arrived, killing everyone trapped inside without even having the opportunity to mount a rescue attempt. Three dead out of forty was not the worst case scenario, no matter how much it hurt to lose friends.

Jim's meeting with Aronson wrapped up easily, and Jim was heading back to the rest of his team – McCoy, who had come to do a final check on any who were still nursing injuries, Lieutenant Hendorff, and two additional members of Security – when a hesitant cough drew his attention.

Looking to his left, he saw Sam watching him, expression apprehensive. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Jim glanced back at his team, and then looked back to his brother. Sighing, he nodded and let Sam draw him off to the side and out of earshot of anyone else.

Sam stopped walking and turned to face his brother, hands stuffed awkwardly in his pockets as he tried to figure out what to say. Jim waited patiently for about thirty seconds, but when he started to look back to his crew, who seemed to be waiting on their Captain before they departed, Sam knew he needed to get a move on.

"Thanks for saving me," he said uncomfortably.

Jim focused back on his brother. His expression was impassive and neutral. "I was just doing my job," he replied evenly.

Sam nodded sadly. "I know," he said. "I don't expect you to save me because we're family. I know I don't deserve that."

Jim was quiet for a minute, considering. He wished he had had more time to prepare before this, but even a week of inner turmoil, being so close to his brother and not knowing how to react, and he still wasn't ready. Finally, he sighed. "I was angry when you called me. It wasn't a good time, and things were crazy." He shook his head and grit his teeth. "I'm still angry. I don't know if I'm ready to let go of that, because it was me who had to deal with the fallout when you ran away. I don't blame you," he rushed when it looked like Sam was going to interrupt. Sam closed his mouth and swallowed harshly, his expression pained. "I know why you left, Sam. I knew it when I was twelve, and I never lost sight of that. But you left me there. You left knowing what Frank was like, and you left knowing that I would have to deal with it alone."

Jim sighed again. "I'm the one who had to deal with the looks you and Winona would give me every time I entered a room. I've had to live with the knowledge that my mother and brother resented the fact that I came home when George Kirk didn't. I knew I wasn't wanted when I was three, Sam. I knew there was something wrong with me that even my own family hated me. And I've had to live with that understanding ever since."

Sam bit his lip, trying not to let any tears escape. He and their mom had really screwed up. He had known that pretty much since he had told Jim to leave him alone when the kid had visited him on Deneva as a teenager. He just wished he had reached out immediately, rather than putting it off for over a decade and letting it continue to fester.

Jim shook his head and looked away. "This isn't the right time, Sam. I'm tired, and I'm sure you are too. I'm not saying we can't talk about this anymore, but right now I need to leave. The  _Enterprise_  is waiting on me to depart, and we're already running behind."

Sam grimaced but nodded. "Ok, Jim. I'm sorry for dragging you over here, and I'm sorry for everything else. Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting."

Jim didn't respond, he just nodded sharply and walked away. Sam watched him leave, waiting until he was out of earshot before whispering, "Love you, little brother."

Jim didn't hear him, but Eric Aronson, who had approached after seeing the pair separate, definitely did. Sam acknowledged his friend's arrival with a nod, and neither scientist spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Sam sighed. "I don't blame him for hating me. I'd hate me too." Eric looked at him questioningly, and Sam shook his head. "He's right, I knew what I was leaving him with when I ran away. Our stepfather was a bastard, and I knew exactly what he was like. I could pretend all I want that Jim would be good and wouldn't draw Frank's attention or anger, but that was just me deluding myself. Frank had been hurting Jim as long as he had me. Jim was just better at hiding it."

"Sam…" Eric's voice twisted painfully at hearing how horrible things had been for his friend growing up.

Sam growled lowly and glared at the other man. "For god's sake, Frank saw from day one how much the rest of Jim's family hated him, why would he ever think we'd care if he smacked him around a little? And if the kid ended up with a broken bone or three, who would complain?"

Sam bit his lip and sighed, letting some of the anger go. "I didn't realize how badly I'd screwed up until Jim visited me here years ago. Kid was a teenager, and just wanted to see some part of his family again. But I wasn't ready to deal with how badly I'd messed up as a brother, so I told him to leave. I've never been able to get that look of betrayal out of my head. Even when I was leaving Riverside, when I was sixteen, Jim just wanted me to take him too. He never looked at me like that when we were kids; growing up, all he wanted was my approval. I spent so much of our childhood ignoring him or telling him to leave me alone, and all he wanted was to be accepted." He snorted and looked back at the spot where the group of Starfleet officers had been just minutes before. "I saw the way he was with Doctor McCoy this last week. He's found himself a new brother now. And I really don't blame him. I shouldn't have expected anything else."

Eric shook his head. "I wouldn't give up. He might be angry or hurt, but he was really worried about you when you were missing."

Sam shrugged. "That doesn't mean anything."

Eric sighed. "Trust me, Sam. Anger, hurt, worry, those are emotions. And if he's still feeling emotions it means he still cares. And if he cares, it means that he hasn't given up yet."

Eric left Sam alone to think about that.

**XXX**

Jim spent the week following their departure from Deneva in quiet contemplation. McCoy and Carol were the only ones who really knew why he was so withdrawn, but neither one pushed him to talk about it.

Truth was, Jim didn't really need to talk. He had said what he wanted to say to Sam, some things he had been holding in for most of his life. Now he just wanted to take some time and a step back to think about Sam's apology, and what it was Jim wanted from his brother. It seemed like Sam was willing to wait, so Jim wanted to take the time to figure himself out, before he made any decisions. If Sam meant it, then he wouldn't push for anything and he wouldn't be upset no matter how long it was before Jim got back in touch.

It took a full week after they left Deneva before he decided that if he wanted to have any kind of relationship with Sam, the first step had to be to keep talking. They had left things in a holding pattern, and while Sam might wait to let Jim make the first move, Jim had to be willing to do it.

And he finally felt like he was, so Jim sent Carol down to dinner alone after their shift one evening, and sat down at his comm. to call Sam.

Sam picked up after a minute, and looked surprised to hear from Jim so soon. "Hey," he said lamely, not sure what the right thing to say was.

Jim bit his lip. "Hi." Awkward silence followed, and then Jim sighed and shook his head. "Look, Sam, I still don't really know how to feel. I don't know what it is I'm feeling. But what I do know is that you don't feel like a brother to me anymore." Sam winced, and Jim wished he didn't feel bad for saying what he needed to say when it hurt Sam so much, but he had to get this out. "I'm sorry, I know what you want, but I just don't think I can give you that."

Sam grimaced. "I get it. It hurts, but I know I deserve it."

Jim rolled his eyes. "It's not that, Sam. This isn't about justifiable punishment, because I'm not trying to punish you for anything. You made your choices all those years ago, and they were the right choices for you. You did what you had to do, no matter what it meant for anyone else. But you were a kid too, Sam. You shouldn't have had to be put in that position. I was never angry at you for leaving." Sam looked confused, and Jim let out a long breath of air. "I always understood why you left. I was angry because you knew what would happen and you didn't take me out of that hellhole too." Sam looked like he might start crying, but he didn't try to interrupt. Jim shook his head. "We're not close, Sam. We're not brothers in that sense. We haven't really spoken in years, and we don't know who the other is anymore. I found a new family. I've got brothers here, and sisters. A whole family that I know would fall on a sword for me, whether or not I asked them to. And the sad thing is, Sam I'm not sure if you would do the same."

Sam looked like he wanted to contradict Jim, but didn't know if he could do it honestly. Finally, he sighed. "I want to be that kind of brother, Jim. I know I made mistakes in the past, but I want to be the brother who would protect you to his last breath."

Jim swallowed. "I don't need protecting, Sam. I haven't for a long time." He let out a weak chuckle. "Everything I learned about families growing up was that they do nothing but hurt you. In the last few years though, I've realized that that's not true. Family isn't supposed to hurt you or make you feel like you don't belong. They're not supposed to blame you for things that happened seconds after you were born. They're not even supposed to protect you, really. I don't need a shield, Sam," his eyes flashed with something like annoyance. "Family's supposed to support you, help you through the pain not protect you from it."

Sam pursed his lips in thought. "So what can I do, Jim? I want to try being the kind of brother I've should've been, but if you need me to back off, I get it. Just tell me what you need me to do."

Jim frowned, considering. What did he need? He had no idea. He had no clue what he needed here. But what he wanted… "Maybe we can try just talking. Regular conversations, figure out who we are and maybe build a relationship based on the people we are now, and not the kids we left behind in Riverside. We can't be brothers right now, maybe not ever. But I don't know… maybe we can try just being friends?"

Sam agreed immediately. "I'd love that, Jim. How about trying to talk once a week? I'd love to pick your brain about some of the experiments we're working on here. One of our guys is a quantum biologist, apparently there's some paper you wrote with a professor while you were getting your degree at MIT that he was drooling over."

Part of Jim's specialty was quantum mechanics, which was used in quantum biology. The Captain smiled self-deprecatingly. "I co-wrote a few papers. Most of them involved me doing the research grunt work, but hey, it got my name on the byline, even if it was just at the end."

Sam chuckled. "I remember doing a lot of that while I was getting my PhD. Free labor for the professors?"

Jim shrugged. "Experience," he rolled his eyes, and across subspace Sam did the same. Professors just loved to bring out the 'experience' incentive in getting grad students to do their dirty work.

The two fell silent for a minute. Eventually, Sam smiled. "I like this," he admitted. "Talking about our work, talking to each other."

Jim had to agree. "Me, too." He glanced towards the chronometer and saw that it was getting late. He should probably eat something before Carol came back and yelled at him for ignoring his own needs again.

Sam saw the look, and knew their time today was drawing to a close. "You need to get going?" he asked understandingly.

Jim grimaced. "If I don't eat dinner before my fiancée comes back she's probably going to come up with some sort of embarrassing punishment. And she can get creative." He gave a fake shudder, and Sam laughed. He also understood the comment for what it was: a peace offering and a small look into his brother's personal life. They could keep this completely professional and not step out of the bounds of work, but Jim was giving him a chance to see what his life was like, starting with the woman he was going to marry.

"Congratulations," Sam offered. "I'm really happy for you. Your fiancée sounds like quite a woman."

Jim grinned. "All that and more." He hesitated, and then added, "Maybe someday I'll introduce you."

Sam smiled broadly. "I'd really like that."

They didn't waste too much longer saying good byes. Sam promised to call next week, and they both signed off.

Jim tried not to think about how much better he felt after that conversation as he went to his replicator and got himself some dinner.

He had been going back and forth for days, ever since they had left Deneva, and had still been on the fence when he decided to bite the bullet and call Sam tonight. But that had gone really well, and if nothing else had shown him that he and Sam could have some sort of relationship again. They might never be brothers, not like he and McCoy were brothers, or him and Chekov. But they could be friends. And maybe, just maybe, eventually they could be a family again.


	8. Chapter 8

Life settled back into a comfortable rhythm as the months passed. Jim and his team continued to work on the peace treaty as they explored the border that stretched the length of the Neutral Zone between Federation and Klingon space.

Their meetings with the Klingons were tumultuous at best. The representatives for the Klingons included Chief Garazha, whom Jim remembered as being K'Temoc's Clan Chief. They had met when Jim had gone to Qo'noS to witness Harrison's execution. K'Temoc, a Klingon Jim actually thought of as a friend and whom he had first met years ago when they had been sent to monitor reports of recent activity on the deserted Tarsus IV planet, was not high enough on any chains to grab a seat at this table.

In addition to Garazha, there were six other Klingons, all of whom had their own opinions, and all of whom wanted to debate each point on the list Jim had sent them to the last detail. Demands and requests went back and forth for months before Jim felt like they were actually starting to make progress.

Six months after they initiated contact with the Klingons to begin the official negotiation process, Jim felt confident enough to send their current draft to the Admiralty. They weren't anywhere near done, but it was getting to a point where Jim thought they might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and this draft wouldn't immediately have the Admirals throwing it back in his face at least. It had only taken twelve tries to get to this point.

Jim actually lost that bet, he had thought it would take at least fifteen. He should know better than to bet against Uhura.

While Jim was debating the finer points of the treaty and keeping all of this from his crew, he and Carol decided to officially announce their engagement. It wasn't like they had been keeping it a secret anymore – Carol had been wearing her engagement ring since the command crew had seen it – but until they made the official announcement with the Admiralty, it had felt a little like they were trying to hide it still.

Of course the crew was thrilled. Jon and Richard both sent him personal congratulations, and Chris forwarded the news segment that covered how Starfleet's most eligible bachelor was finally off the market. It confused Jim, since he had been 'off the market' for years, and the press knew that already. They had led quite a dirty - and fortunately brief - smear campaign against Carol when they had caught the couple kissing good bye before Jim headed off to Qo'noS with the  _Yorktown_  to witness Harrison's trial by the Klingons. Fortunately, Jon shut them down pretty quickly. After that, Carol had seemingly disappeared from the news cycle – they still reported on Jim's exploits, but Carol barely rated a mention.

Chris tried to contain his amusement as he reminded Jim of the ruthlessness of the press. Until there was an actual ring involved, Jim would still be considered eligible.

It annoyed Jim to no end, but he and Carol put up with it, grateful for the support of their friends and family. It was easy to feel slightly removed from the news cycles this far away from Earth. They had told everyone on the ship, along with their family and closest friends before announcing it to the Admiralty, so by the time the stories circulated throughout various news outlets across the Federation, anyone who mattered already knew. No mention of any dates for the ceremony were set though; they would likely wait until they got back to Earth, to allow for friends and family on the planet to attend the celebration as well. Carol wanted her mother there, and Jim couldn't imagine getting married without his cousin Cory. Hopefully they could arrange it for the  _USS Parks_  to be docked at Earth at the same time, allowing Chris and Shay to be there. Actually, that was pretty mandatory – Jim had already promised Chris he wouldn't do this without him.

Other than Jim and Carol's announcement, the rest of ship life was pretty calm. April and McCoy were still debating dates and locations and trying to decide on any small details they could in the meantime – a shore leave a couple months earlier had allowed April to take Joanna, Uhura, and Carol dress shopping, and they had all found dresses to wear for the ceremony, whenever and wherever it may be.

Things seemed to be going pretty well. The Admiralty rejected the draft of the treaty Jim sent them of course, but they sent it back with fewer points crossed off and changes to be made than he had thought they would, so at least there was some good news.

It took another three months before they felt they were getting closer to a final draft. That's when Chris and the  _Parks_  began getting more involved, setting up the peace talks, as they had decided to call them. Invitations went out to over two hundred Federation members.

There was a lot of hesitation, so the  _Parks_ and the  _Enterprise_  spent another three months visiting almost fifty different representatives, convincing them of the importance of their attendance, and getting promises to send delegates. It took months of hard work and perseverance, but in the end they would have a one hundred percent attendance rate among invitees.

The date was some eight months away, and the talks would last two weeks. The new Yorktown space station was tapped to be the location. The station had officially opened and been christened half a year earlier, and was already thriving. There were approximately five hundred permanent inhabitants, many of whom were related to Starfleet in some way. The station was independent of any planet or race, but was still run and staffed by Starfleet enlisted or contractors. They were seeing regular traffic from multiple Federation races, and business in the small city-in-space was booming. Even though only about five hundred people lived there full time, it was rare to see less than a thousand people occupying the station on any given day.

Once the official invitations for the talks had gone out, Starfleet issued the announcement. Jon did a press interview alongside Admiral Nogura, sharing details of the new Klingon treaty that was being negotiated and how it had led to these peace talks, how the treaty would be finalized at the talks with Klingons being invited to the table at a Federation event for the first time in history. The old treaty this new one was replacing hadn't come anywhere close to the level of cooperation they were experiencing today. Both Admirals stressed that the Klingons weren't joining the Federation, but this was a level of peace that would eclipse any false promises they had had before.

When the news broke on the  _Enterprise_ , the level of awe his crew had for Jim reached a whole new level. It was shared slightly among the rest of the team who had been working on this, but Jim was the big name being bandied about as he was the one leading them.

Beyond awe though, it was pride. This was a huge step forward for the Federation, and  _their_  Captain was responsible for it.

Jim bore it all with humility, giving vast amounts of credit to the rest of the team whenever he could, and they all buckled down and continued to work. Just because it was public and there was an end date in sight, didn't mean they were anywhere close to being done.

Three months before the talks, McCoy and April sought Jim out to discuss their wedding. "We decided to do it at Yorktown," McCoy said simply without any introduction as he sat down on Jim's sofa.

Jim looked up from the PADD he had been buried in, acknowledging the two doctors' presence with a nod, before his brow furrowed in confusion as he processed McCoy's statement. "Do what?" he asked for clarification.

April shook her head and smiled at McCoy's vague statement, sitting down in the chair next to the couch. "Our wedding," she explained. "We decided that that made as much sense to have it there as anywhere else. Admiral Willis will be at the talks, and we've both worked with him and like him, we thought he could perform the ceremony."

Jim nodded slowly. Rear Admiral Willis was head of the Medical Track at the Academy. He was also famous for being one of the few Admirals who really liked to get his hands dirty. In the same way Jon tried to teach at least one upper level Engineering or Command course each year, Willis took regular shifts at Starfleet Hospital so that he could work with patients and keep his skills sharp.

"I think we can definitely arrange it," Jim replied. "I'll talk with Commodore Paris and reserve a space, why don't you look at some of the food options and see if there's anyone you'd like to cater the reception." April smiled, and McCoy nodded. Jim pursed his lips in thought, considering what else they needed to organize. "Put together a list of who you want to attend, or at least get me a number so I can make sure the space is big enough."

"Yeah, we're working on invitations and all, but it's going to be a small list," April said. "Mostly the command crew and everyone in Medical. Maybe a few more, but that's about it."

Jim grinned. "I'm really happy for you guys, and glad you're finally doing this."

McCoy sighed, and April shrugged. "It does feel like it's been forever," she admitted, looking at her fiancé. "But we waited for it to feel right, and it finally does." McCoy nodded in agreement.

They spent another few minutes discussing logistics, before April stood up, shooting a significant look at the other doctor in the room. "We should let you get back to work," she said, glancing at the abandoned PADD in Jim's lap. "I'm sure you're probably really busy."

Jim grimaced. "I'm not sure how much sleep I'll be getting in the next few months," he admitted. "It's like a nonstop stream of requirements and demands." He shook his head. "Why did they put me in charge of the negotiations if they weren't going to let me do my damn job?"

April winced sympathetically, and dragged her fiancé out before he could say anything insensitive.

Jim chuckled lightly, and got back to work.

**XXX**

A few months later, and the  _Enterprise_  docked at Yorktown. The talks were scheduled to begin in two weeks, and while most delegates wouldn't be arriving until then, Jim made sure they were early so they could be on hand for the last minute preparations. Chris, Shay, and the  _Parks_  had been at the station for a week already. Jon, Richard, and other Starfleet representatives from the Admiralty had beaten the  _Enterprise_ by about a day. Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab were scheduled to arrive the next day.

They had another week before the Klingon representatives would get there – they would spend the week before the talks began working on last minute details. The hope was that they could finish by the first day of the talks so that everyone involved in the negotiations could participate, but they had planned to sign the treaty on the last day, just in case there were setbacks. Though the negotiations may still be taking place, they had still planned a few key discussions and lectures for the group to attend together.

Jim would have to spend most of his time with the Klingons, but the others had the opportunity to step out and attend other events if they wanted. Spock and Uhura were planning to stay with Jim and the group, but the other two members of the team were less certain. Jim made sure they knew they were welcome to join him with the Klingons, since they had put in so much work to get to this point, but he didn't want to keep them from anything else if they were interested. Lieutenant Shraeter had a few events in mind he wanted to attend but for the most part would stick with Jim and the others, but Vlox's father, the Tellarite Ambassador to Earth, was planning to attend and would be on few panel discussions; Vlox was hoping to listen in on at least those talks, as well as spend some time with his father.

For the rest of the  _Enterprise_ crew, they were invited to the talks but were not required to attend. Many of the senior crew members would be attending, but attendance would likely be less frequent among the more junior ones.

April and McCoy decided that their wedding should be soon after they arrived. Jim had offered them a few days off for a honeymoon, so they could have that and be back to work in time for the talks. Not that they planned to go anywhere else, but Yorktown was a state of the art station, and had all kinds of opportunities to take advantage of.

Jim had booked them a suite at the best hotel/spa combo the station had, and when McCoy tried to protest, he just shoved the card into the doctor's hands and told him it was nonrefundable.

McCoy gaped at him for a minute, and then shook his head, sighing. "Thanks, Jim. Seriously, for this, for organizing the ceremony, for everything."

Jim blushed lightly, embarrassed. "You're my best friend, Bones," he replied. "I'd do anything for you."

McCoy deliberately didn't take it any further, knowing that any further gestures of appreciation would just be met with more embarrassment. "Same," he said instead. "You know Jo-Jo's going to drive you crazy, right? Are you sure you can watch her? Won't you be busy with the Klingons?" Jim had offered to watch Joanna while the newlyweds had their mini-honeymoon.

Jim shrugged. "We'll be fine. Carol will probably be the one spending the most time with her honestly, and Kevin offered to help out, but I'll be around as much as possible. Just enjoy yourselves, we'll take care of Joanna."

McCoy held in a shiver at the idea of Kevin taking care of his daughter; he had been reluctant ever since he had come back from work one evening years ago to find them staging a battle with pillows and whipped cream. It was obvious to him how much the Ensign cared for his daughter, and he knew Joanna loved spending time with him, but sometimes it was hard to tell which one was the kid. But he was always grateful to have such a large family willing to step in and help out, so he just nodded thankfully, and headed back to his room to make sure Joanna was packed and ready to spend the next few days on the space station.

As he finished packing his own bag, he remembered back to a conversation they had all had months ago, where he had promised that if they ever stopped at this station, he was staying on the ship. He snorted lightly. He should have known better.

**XXX**

The next day, McCoy and April wed in a very small ceremony in one of the private rooms in Yorktown.

Aside from the command crew, the entire medical department was there, as well as a few friends like Kevin who worked in other departments.

McCoy was wearing his dress uniform, as were most of the guests, including Jim. Uhura and Carol had on knee length dresses in a pale lavender color. Joanna's dress was similar in cut and style, but it was a dark purple.

April's wedding dress was a vintage floor length sheath style, ivory with gold embroidery covering it entirely in a subtle floral pattern. It had a sweetheart neckline, and short off the shoulder sleeves.

Jim stood next to McCoy, while April had Joanna immediately to her left, Carol and Uhura standing just behind her. The rest of the guests were seated a short distance away. They all watched and listened with smiles as Admiral Willis led the pair through the ceremony. Soon enough he was pronouncing them man and wife, and April and McCoy kissed to the sound of cheers.

Joanna was right next to them, beaming happily. As soon as the new husband and wife separated, they immediately drew her into a hug.

That was followed by congratulations from the other guests, and they moved towards the buffet table that had been set up off to one side, everyone grabbing dinner and moving their own seats from the ceremony to make groups so that they could eat and talk to each other.

The only thing McCoy and April had requested was no speeches, so there was no pressure on either Joanna or Jim as maid of honor and best man to come up with anything. Instead, it was a quiet and enjoyable evening celebrating their friends, before McCoy and April left for their short honeymoon, and the rest of the guests departed for their rooms – most would be staying on the ship; considering how many people were expected to attend these talks, it made sense to have most Federation personnel remain in their quarters on their ships rather than try and squeeze them in with the thousands who were supposed to arrive in just a couple of weeks.

Jim, Uhura, and Spock were the only ones among the wedding guests who were staying in rooms at Yorktown, since they were part of the Klingon negotiation; so the trio said good bye to the other guests and left with Carol and Joanna towards the rooms they had been given on the station.

**XXX**

The next week passed in a haze of preparations and plans. Jim was busy with the rest of the treaty team, and more days than not wasn't able to get back to his room until well after Carol – and Joanna, for the first few days – had gone to bed.

Finally, the night before the Klingons were due to arrive, Jim was pleased to say that everything was ready. He had wanted to spend some time with the fiancée he felt like he had been neglecting over the last couple of weeks, no matter how much she understood, but Carol had already made plans for a girl's night in with Uhura, April, and Joanna – nails, make up, facials, the works.

Jim thought it was for Joanna's benefit more than anyone else – she had been pushed aside a little over the last couple weeks, as everyone else was pretty busy. Kevin had jumped in to ensure she didn't spend all her time alone, but the others had still felt bad. Especially April, she wanted to make sure Joanna knew that even with the wedding and official documents – they had sent the adoption papers in a few days before the wedding – nothing had changed in their family dynamic and the teenager was still a priority with her parents.

In any event, Jim wasn't invited to join them, so the Captain was left to cajole Spock into joining him and McCoy for a drink instead. He contacted Chris as well, and the Admiral was eager to accept. They had all been on the station together for a week already, but because their duties had been so separate, intense, and time-consuming, Jim still hadn't even seen the older man.

Chris met them at the bar in question, bringing Shay along. The Captain wasn't staying however, she just wanted to see Jim before she headed off with some of her friends from the  _Parks_  for a relaxing evening of their own.

The biggest shock to Jim, however, was the baby bump he could clearly see Shay sporting as the couple approached.

He leveled a wide-eyed look at Chris as Shay grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Is that…?" he pulled back, and Chris moved in for his own hug.

When the two separated, Chris grinned. "I wanted to tell you in person. Four months," he said, looking at his wife. "It's a boy."

Jim offered them a congratulations, as did McCoy and Spock. Shay accepted with a nod, before saying her good byes. "I just wanted to say hello and to congratulate you for all the work you've done with the treaty. I'm off to the spa. You boys enjoy yourself."

Chris gave her a kiss, before she left and he followed Jim and the others into the bar.

They grabbed a table in the back, and spent a while catching up. Chris was eager to hear about the  _Enterprise_ 's latest missions, and Jim listened with interest as Chris told them about some of his own exploits. The one subject none of them touched was the ongoing search for Kodos. The man had been missing for over a year now, and Chris hated to admit it but the trail had gone cold months ago.

They were on their third round of drinks when Chris turned to Jim with a smile. "You know, Shay and I have been discussing names a lot lately. The one we keep coming back to is James."

Jim set his drink down, stunned. He would never have expected this. "Seriously? I mean, are you sure?"

Chris' smile widened, though there was a small twinge of anger for everyone in Jim's life who had taught the kid that he didn't matter. "Jim, very few people in my life have made as large an impression as you have. And if my son grows up to be anything like his godfather, I will count myself the luckiest parent alive."

Jim started to smile, and then Chris' words caught up to him and he swallowed. "Godfather?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "I would never consider anyone else, Jim."

Jim's smile returned. "I'm honored."

McCoy and Spock stayed quiet through this conversation, but both offered their congratulations to Jim as well. Spock didn't fully understand what the role of godfather was, but McCoy had grown up in a large Catholic family, and it was an important responsibility to him. He only wished Joanna's godfather hadn't run for the hills the moment Jocelyn had decided she no longer wanted to be a parent. Considering Joanna's godfather was Jocelyn's brother though, it probably shouldn't have been that surprising.

Chris grinned at the congratulations and at Jim's excitement as the title sunk in. "So, what about you? Do I hear wedding bells any time soon? You guys have been engaged for what, a year?"

Jim grimaced and took a sip of his beer. "More than," he allowed. "We actually considered doing it here, briefly." He shrugged. "You and Shay would be here, plus Jon and Richard… but then this asshole," he nodded in McCoy's direction with a slight smile, ignoring the doctor's spluttered retort, "decided to upstage me and get himself hitched instead." He shook his head and his smile widened. "We decided it would make more sense to wait until we're back on Earth in a couple years. Cory's still in California, and I wouldn't want to do this without him. Plus Carol's mom is in London." He took another sip of his drink. "We're not in any rush. And I already promised we won't do it without you."

Chris raised his glass in a mock salute, and they turned the conversation to other topics.

It was much later when they were all separating to their own rooms – McCoy back to the ship and Jim, Spock, and Chris to the rooms they had on the station – when the doctor pulled Jim aside, letting the others continue walking. "You didn't have to wait for me," he said, feeling slightly guilty. "We wouldn't have been mad if you and Carol got married here as well."

Jim immediately shook his head. "I was joking," he smiled. "Promise, we didn't decide against it because of you. I really want my cousin to be there, and Carol didn't want to do it without her mom."

McCoy didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded slowly, and they continued back to their rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late... my weekly update schedule only works if I remember it's Friday!

 

The Klingons arrived on schedule the next day, a week before the talks officially opened. Jim was there to greet them, at the front of the delegation of Starfleet representatives. In addition to the five  _Enterprise_  officers who had been working on the treaty, Jon, Richard, Chris, and Nogura were all there, as was Commodore Paris as the officer in charge of Yorktown. She wouldn't attend the negotiations, but she welcomed the Klingons to the station. Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab were present as well.

The Klingons seemed to be trying extra hard to be cordial – alongside the half dozen representatives Jim and the others had been negotiating with for the last year, there were eight more, there for security. It had been agreed upon by the Admirals to allow the Klingons this request, in case anyone less than thrilled with the new peace treaty decided to take action.

Security around the talks was tight, Chris and Shay had worked tirelessly with Commodore Paris to make sure of that, but if it made the Klingons feel more comfortable, they weren't going to fight it. Everyone had to be checked by station security anyway, and there were no weapons allowed in the public areas.

Jim was surprised to see K'Temoc standing with the security detail as he greeted the Klingons that morning. Chief Garazha was clearly in charge as he shook the Captain's hand, pleased to see the honorable man in person again after so long. There weren't many humans he respected, but this man had earned it through his actions and deeds several times over.

Jim spoke in Klingon, Uhura following along easily while the rest of the Federation group used universal translators to ensure they didn't miss any comments made by the visitors.  _"Welcome to Yorktown,"_  he greeted.  _"We've scheduled to begin the final negotiations this afternoon, so you have a few hours to settle into your rooms. The peace talks start next week, and will be full of debates, meetings, and discussions. We have also scheduled evening events for additional mingling outside of official settings. You are welcome to attend any of these that you desire, so long as they do not conflict with our own scheduled negotiation periods. The hope is that we can complete our negotiations by the end of this week, but we will have the two weeks of the talks should negotiations run longer than anticipated. There will be a welcome dinner in your honor on the first evening of the talks._ " He gestured to Commodore Paris and the team of officers behind her, waiting to escort the guests to their rooms. " _Commodore Paris is in charge of the station, please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. She will make sure you have a full schedule of events. The officers here will escort you to your rooms._ "

The Klingons fell into step behind the officers Jim pointed out, and Jim found himself walking alongside Garazha, with K'Temoc slightly behind him. Jim greeted K'Temoc with a smile and a nod. " _I didn't expect to see you here,_ " he commented.

Garazha interrupted. " _Captain K'Temoc has proven himself a valuable asset to our cause._ "

Jim saw the gauging look in the Chief's eyes, and understood that it was a calculated move on the Klingons' part. K'Temoc was on good terms with the members of the Federation team, specifically Jim and to a lesser extent Admiral Archer – whom he had spoken to when they had captured Kodos. The Admiral had expressed his gratitude for their willingness to hand the criminal over, personally thanking K'Temoc for contacting him.

It was possible that if they ran into any issues, K'Temoc might be able to ease tensions.

Jim and the Federation group parted ways as the Klingons were led towards the hotel area, making their way back to the conference room they would be utilizing for the next week. They had a few hours left to go over last minute details before the Klingons would join them, and planned to use every last second.

**XXX**

The next week passed incredibly quickly in long days of negotiations. Jim and the others were spending ten hours a day in that conference room, and he still doubted they would finish before the talks began.

The evening before the talks, the group was breaking up and heading for their rooms when Jon pulled Jim aside for a quick word. Exhausted, Jim didn't protest too much, even though all he wanted to do was go back to his room and sleep until the last possible second before he had to be at the opening ceremony the next morning.

Jon winced sympathetically; he was every bit as tired, but this couldn't wait. He didn't want Jim to be blindsided at any point during the next couple weeks. "Jim, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of a last minute Federation attendee." Jim frowned in confusion, and Jon sighed. "The  _Antilles_  docked this afternoon."

Jim blinked slowly, the words filtering through his fog of exhaustion. And then he blinked again and his jaw clenched. He hadn't spoken to his mother since he was twenty-two – and that confrontation had gone pretty horribly as he told her never to contact him again – but he still made it a point to know where she was at all times, which was why he recognized the ship Jon mentioned as the same one where she was currently serving in the Engineering department. "Thanks for the warning," he said, voice devoid of emotions as he looked away. Damn it, he had already had one uncomfortable family confrontation in the last year, he really didn't need another.

Even though things were actually going pretty well with Sam lately. They talked regularly, and in the last few months, had even moved the conversations to include more personal than professional topics. Sam had moved back to Earth a couple months earlier to take a post at a leading research company in Texas. He was already missing his friends on Deneva, but one of his new colleagues had made the transition considerably less difficult. Her name was Aurelan, and Jim knew his brother was smitten. It was in the look every time the older man talked about her. They had only been on a few dates so far, but Jim suspected Sam was in it for the long haul.

But letting Sam back in had been relatively easy, even though he hadn't thought it would be when they had met again on Deneva. Even at the height of his anger, he had always understood Sam's decisions. Winona didn't have the same courtesy. She had made a conscious choice to blame her youngest son for her husband's death and had chosen to let the first person who offered in so that she could dump her children and escape to the stars rather than help her kids heal from the sudden absence of their father. Time and again throughout his childhood she had put herself first. She had never once chosen Jim.

Realizing Jon was waiting for some sort of follow up, he forced himself to swallow. "There's going to be thousands of people here, Jon, the chances of me running into her are pretty small. Especially since I'll probably still be spending the majority of my time in this room." Though Jon and Richard would have to be present at other events now that the talks were beginning, the team still wasn't finished negotiating final details, so Jim and the others would have limited time available until they were done.

Jon nodded slowly. "I didn't realize they were coming," he tried to explain. "They were in the area though, and the Captain asked to attend and give his crew the opportunity as well. Most of the lower levels are getting a shore leave, but the command crew and maybe a few others will likely attend the talks."

And that would likely include Winona, Jim knew. She was a Commander, second in command to the Chief Engineering Officer on the  _Antilles_.

Jim grimaced. "Thanks for the heads up," he said again. "I should get back to my room."

He left the Admiral there and made his way back to the residential area in a haze. He hadn't seen Winona since Frank's funeral in Riverside, right before he had enlisted. Not once had Winona contacted him to ask how he was, or see how his studies were going. She hadn't offered any congratulations for him making Captain right out of the Academy, or for graduating in three years Command qualified with specializations in two different Tracks. There had been no communication after Nero, after Khan. Nothing when his childhood had been splashed across news outlets across the Federation. No 'well done' when the Admirals had praised his efforts as being crucial to the new peace with the Klingons.

Jim forced his thoughts down as he reached his allocated room. He had long since given up expecting anything from Winona. For Christ's sake, he had stopped calling the woman 'mom' when he was five. He had stopped thinking of her as 'mom' when he was twelve. He didn't have to see her over the next couple weeks if he was careful about it. They may run the risk at some of the evening events, but Jim could always spend that time with the Klingon representatives – it would even make sense, considering his position in the negotiations.

**XXX**

Carol had been dating Jim for more than half a decade, and living with him unofficially and officially for nearly as long; she knew immediately that something was wrong when her fiancé entered their shared quarters. Jim couldn't even try to lie to her, and got to watch, amused and a little afraid, as she went off on a rant that would make any foul-mouthed officer blush.

"I swear, I'm going to find that woman and give her a piece of my mind," the Brit finished with an angry huff.

Jim immediately grasped her hand and drew her down to sit next to him on the bed. "Don't," he advised. When Carol looked at him, annoyed, he shook his head. "I'm done being angry," he explained simply. "I've waited for an explanation long enough. I've waited for her to start acting like a mom for too long. Now, I just can't muster up the energy to care anymore."

Carol winced at the admission. That was probably the worst reaction, when she thought about it. Anger meant there was still some feelings there, that he still wanted something more. But if he didn't care, that meant he really was done. "I will support you in whatever choice you make," she said quietly. "If you don't ever want to see her again, I understand. And I won't do anything to rock the boat."

Jim leaned over and kissed her lightly. "I already haven't seen her in a decade," he reminded her. "I doubt she ever thinks about me anyway. I gave up wanting more a long time ago."

"I hate that," Carol admitted, grasping his hand tightly. "My father was an ass, even before he was a traitor, but at least I could understand that he was trying to protect me, no matter my own personal feelings on his actions back then."

Jim smiled slightly. "It is what it is," he shrugged. "I know it might seem weird that I'm not more upset, but honestly I think I used up those emotions when I was a kid. I spent years of my life waiting and hoping. If she doesn't want to be in my life, I can't force her."

Carol leaned against his shoulder. "I'm proud of you," she whispered. "I still want to kill her for everything she put you through, but I'm really proud of you for letting go of it all."

Jim rested his cheek briefly against the top of her head. His free arm moved to circle around her shoulders. "I got Sam back, and that's honestly more than I could have ever hoped for a few years ago. I'm content with that."

Carol sniffed weakly, and didn't speak anymore. They stayed like that for a while longer, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company and a brief moment of calm in the middle of weeks of demanding and hectic labor.

Eventually, they untangled themselves and headed to bed.

**XXX**

Jim was up early the next morning, before Carol had even though about stirring. She was planning to attend the talks with those members of the command crew that weren't busy with the Klingons, but the opening ceremony kick off was still a good three hours away when Jim pulled his uniform on and slipped quietly out of the room.

Carol had gotten used to waking up to an empty bed over the last couple weeks, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when she finally stirred two hours later. She lay there quietly for a few minutes, adjusting to being awake, before she frowned in discomfort and pressed a hand gently to her mouth.

Nauseous, she quickly made for the bathroom and stayed there, hunched over the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach repeatedly.

Groaning several minutes later, she continued to kneel in front of the toilet for a little while longer, waiting to make sure she was done. The nauseous feeling was gone, so she carefully stood up and moved to the sink, rinsing her mouth and washing her face.

Finished in the bathroom, Carol moved back to the bedroom, rummaging around in her small bag that held all her necessities. Pulling out the item she had bought the day before, the Lieutenant made her way back to the bathroom. Grabbing a cup, she filled it with water and drank greedily. When the cup was empty, she once more set it down.

Looking at the pregnancy test in her hand, Carol sighed and shakily opened the box.

**XXX**

It was an unnamed planet, mostly because Starfleet had yet to discover it and there were no natural inhabitants.

It was not the kind of place one planned to visit; more likely, it would only be discovered by accident, due to the tumultuous nebula that surrounded it on all sides. Very few ships would be able to navigate successfully through the dangerous section of space, and several had crash landed on the uninhabited planet, unable to see it on scanners until it was too late.

Just because it was uninhabited, however, didn't mean there was nobody there. To the men currently having a hushed conversation outside the crude building, the setting suited them just fine. No Starfleet busybodies or clueless explorers would interrupt, giving them free reign to finalize their plans.

"Is your operative in place?" the taller man asked. His skin was a dark brown, muscular but not buff. There was a cold gleam in his eyes that spoke of eagerness for what was to come.

"Nearly," Kodos replied. His own voice was bored, but his gaze was alert. "She should arrive in the next few days, and the Starfleet do-gooders won't be able to help themselves – they'll have to respond."

The unknown man nodded in satisfaction. "Our monitors will pick up their arrival. They'll never know what's coming."

Kodos glowered. "Just as long as no one on that ship makes it out alive. But I want the Captain. Kirk belongs to me."

The man frowned. "You've made your price very clear. We will leave Kirk to you." He paused, and then asked interestedly, "What did this guy do to you to make you so mad?"

Kodos leered, a sick smile twisting his mouth. "It's not anger," he corrected. "He will always be mine. No matter how much the boy tries to deny it, he cannot escape. It will tear him apart to watch his crew die, knowing he can't stop it. I want him to see it, before I destroy him."

"I can arrange that."

Kodos nodded once, satisfied. "I trust you to finish up the final plans then, Krall. I will let you know when my agent makes contact." The escaped convict headed inside.

Krall watched him leave; he was uncertain of the history between this man and the famous Captain Kirk, a man he only knew of because they had managed to tap into Federation news feeds after many years of hard work. The last few years had been filled with plans for unity and togetherness. It made Krall sick to see aliens mixing with humans as if they belonged. Captain Kirk was the Federation darling. If Krall wanted to show his disgust, Kirk would be the ideal target, particularly considering this recent development he had been leading. Peace with the Klingons! They didn't deserve peace. Klingons couldn't understand anything other than violence and destruction.

These stupid peace talks would be the perfect place to attack. Soon the whole Federation would know Krall's loathing.

**XXX**

The talks started off wonderfully; everyone was behaving and seemed to enjoy all of the various events that had been planned for their enjoyment. The whole idea of this event was to establish better relationships between Federation members, and even just a few days in and with the limited contact he had when not sequestered with the Klingons working on last minute details of the treaty, Jim could see that it was working.

With everything that had happened the last few years, starting with Nero's destruction of Vulcan and the death of most of the upperclassmen at the Academy, an event like this was doing a lot to soothe nerves of many Federation members who had been somewhat neglected as Starfleet recovered and got back on its feet.

Jim, with the rest of his team and the Klingons, attended very few talks in the first couple of days. Most of their time was spent hammering out details on the treaty, but by day four, they emerged from the conference room at the end of the day with a treaty that only needed one thing: signatures. They would sign the document on the last day in front of several hundred witnesses and cameras documenting the momentous occasion.

Until then however, they were free to attend whatever talks and events they desired. Jim stuck with the Klingons for the first day, making sure they would be accepted. His worries were mostly unfounded though. There were some disgruntled representatives, but no outright arguments.

It only made sense – Klingons had been raiding Federation planets and picking fights for decades. It wasn't as easy as flipping a switch to see the warrior race be accepted.

Garazha seemed to take it all in stride, but some of his companions were less than pleased. Thankfully, other than some angry looks and glares no one on either side tried to instigate any altercations.

Jim wasn't able to spend much time with Carol at all, but the time they were together, the Captain could tell that something was wrong. She smiled in all the right places, seemed engaged in the events they attended, and appeared to be entirely focused on helping make sure the talks were a success, however she could.

But still, Jim knew something was off. He wanted to confront her, but this really wasn't the time. The second they left Yorktown though, he would get to the bottom of whatever it was. Was she upset because they hadn't gotten married here? He thought they had reached that agreement together, but maybe seeing April and McCoy had made her wish it had been them? Or maybe she was angry because he hadn't been spending time with her? that didn't make sense either, she had always understood that sometimes he had to be a Captain before he was a boyfriend or fiancé, and she definitely understood his need to put everything he had into the success of the treaty and these talks, even if it meant they didn't get to spend a lot of time together during the event. She wanted them to succeed as much as he did.

Jim, Garazha, and a few higher ranking Admirals were in the middle of a small table discussion in front of roughly twenty audience members towards the end of the fifth day of the talks, when an aide interrupted, apologetically informing them that Commodore Paris needed to see Admiral Archer and Captain Kirk immediately.

Confused, the two left the room together and made their way to the control tower.

The Commodore greeted them somberly, informing them of the situation. "We rescued a drifting escape pod a few hours ago," she said, indicating the window in front of them. It was large, almost floor to ceiling, and showed a young woman surrounded by three Starfleet officers. The woman couldn't be more than twenty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked distressed, but not completely inconsolable. "She hasn't said much, beyond asking for help. Something happened to her ship, it's a little unclear what though. I had hoped you would be willing to join me in questioning her."

Both men nodded, and together they entered the room. The officers respectfully left their superiors alone when Paris gestured towards the door, closing it behind them and leaving the trio alone with the stranger.

Paris attempted to offer the young woman a reassuring smile, but she wasn't sure if she was successful – she had two children who could attest to their mother's unfeeling and uncaring attitude. You didn't get to be a woman in Starfleet in command of a station like Yorktown without having to make some sacrifices. "Thank you for being patient. This is Admiral Archer and Captain Kirk. Can you tell us your name?"

Jim thought he saw a gleam in the woman's eyes when his name was mentioned, but then she blinked and it was gone. "I am Lenore," she said tearfully. "Please, you have to help. My ship, my crew…"

Jim took a small step forward. "Calm down, ma'am," he placated. "Just tell us what happened. Take your time."

Lenore took a deep breath, and started again. "We were traveling through a nebula. I know it was probably unwise, but the Captain said there was no other way around. I think it damaged the ship too much, all systems were failing. I was barely able to get to an escape pod. I've been drifting for days, I'm so glad you found me!"

Paris shared a significant look with Jim and Jon, before turning back to the newcomer. "Wait here, please. I'll have some food brought in."

She led the two men out of the room and into the next one. Watching the woman through the window for a moment, she then sighed and pushed a button on the computer console, turning the window opaque so that Lenore couldn't see them. "Thoughts?" she asked.

Jon sighed. "The nearest nebula to Yorktown is pretty dangerous," he admitted. "One of the reasons why it's remained unexplored until now. Most ships that go in, don't come out."

"And she's right," Jim conceded, "going around would take days. Reports do indicate a couple of uninhabited planets though, it's possible her ship crash landed on one."

Paris nodded decisively. "Captain Kirk, I would like you to take the  _Enterprise_  and search for survivors. Your Chief Engineer has recently upgraded your scanning systems, correct?"

Jim almost blushed. "Yes, he just finished those before our arrival at Yorktown. They're significantly stronger and more accurate than previous models." And not entirely legal, but Jim and Scotty had worked that out years ago – as long as it didn't cross too many lines to 'dangerous' and didn't negatively affect any of their current missions, Scotty had near free reign to experiment and make improvements. The Engineer knew to keep any experiments to the quiet downtimes between missions, though there had been a rather embarrassing – and nearly disastrous – situation a couple years ago that had been hell to explain to Jon.

How was Scotty to know a crop of giant plants that looked oddly like Venus fly traps but sprayed a hallucinogenic gas would decide to invade the Federation colony posted on their planet, steal their shuttles, and then make for the nearest Federation vessel, which happened to be the  _Enterprise_ , at the same time Scotty had decided to take on the locking mechanisms of the shuttle bay in an attempt to boost the security systems, ironically leaving them open to any passing shuttle to be able to open without authorization from the  _Enterprise_  as he worked on the upgrades. The crew had been completely blindsided by a crew of Venus fly traps storming the ship and spraying hallucinogens into the air. It had gotten into the air vents, and had caused mass chaos as crew members all over the ship succumbed to the effects. (The worst scenario had probably been Lieutenant Kielson thinking he was Superman and trying to take a swan dive off the second level of the largest Observation Deck – thankfully, Spock had been there to stop him).

(The best scenario was Scotty and Gaila being caught in an intensive make out session when they were hosed down with the antidote McCoy and the medical crew had come up with, and then realizing that they actually did have feelings for each other. They had now been dating officially and exclusively for eighteen months).

Since that situation though, Scotty had made a point of letting Jim know when he was planning to make any upgrades, so that the Captain could be prepared, and boost security as necessary.

Jon shifted slightly, and Jim's thoughts returned to the present moment. The Admiral rolled his eyes, knowing that whatever the Scotsman had done probably wasn't completely above board, but also knowing that those improved scanners would likely soon be making their way into the new ship design for future implementation. Many of the improvements to the newest class had been added because Jim and Scotty had worked them out on the  _Enterprise_ first.

But he ignored that, and simply gave the Captain his orders. "Take a skeleton crew, Jim. No need to pull all your officers out of the talks, and it might concern some of our guests. This shouldn't be too difficult."

Paris added, "You'll ship out in two hours. I will arrange for those crew who are not going with you to have rooms on the station in your absence."

As Jim agreed and left to go send messages to his crew – one for those who would be joining him, and one to let the rest know of the situation so that they didn't get worried when their ship was no longer in port and to give them time to pack a bag for the few days they would spend on the station – he couldn't help but think that Jon's parting statement could be considered 'famous last words'.


	10. Chapter 10

Jim only took about sixty crew members with him as they left port at Yorktown. Lenore was on board as well, looking out of place on the Bridge – she was there to guide them to the location where she had used an escape pod to evacuate her ship, and seemed uncomfortable in a borrowed Starfleet uniform.

The command crew was all there, but all of the kids were left on the station. McCoy grumbled a little at leaving Joanna behind, but she would be staying with Kevin for a few days, and wasn't too upset.

April was on board too, as was Carol. Other than that, each department had a skeleton crew, just enough to operate the ship and provide assistance for any survivors they could find.

The trip passed in near silence. The nebula was a good six hours from Yorktown without pushing the engines too far, and there wasn't much to do until they got there.

At her station on the Bridge, Carol tried to sit calmly, but had already had to have someone cover her station twice as she needed to make a trip to the bathroom to throw up. Each time she did, she tried to ignore the confused and worried look Jim would throw at her.

After the third time, Jim intercepted her before she could sit back down, gesturing to his ready room. Nervously, she acknowledged the silent request, and followed him into the private room.

She came to a rest in front of Jim's desk, and watched as he chose to lean against it, facing her. His face was an unreadable mask, and Carol swallowed apprehensively. "Jim? Is everything all right?"

"Maybe you should answer that yourself," Jim shot back, raising an eyebrow. Carol gulped, but didn't reply. Jim pursed his lips and observed his fiancée. After a moment of silence, he sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. "I saw the box," he admitted, eyes searching for answers. Carol's own eyes widened as she froze in panic.

Jim immediately moved forward and gave her a comforting hug. "I don't care what the test said," he whispered gently. "I love you no matter what."

Carol grasped onto him like a lifeline. Slowly, she managed to get her breathing back to somewhat normal, and she pulled away, but didn't go far. She offered him a watery smile. "It was positive," she informed him. Jim was the one to freeze now. He had found the box that had once held a pregnancy test when he had been searching for his socks under the bed this morning. Even knowing Carol had been concerned enough to take a test, he still hadn't actually thought it would yield this result. Carol continued, seemingly oblivious to her fiancé's inner turmoil. "I probably need to see an actual doctor to confirm it, but considering I've been throwing up pretty much every day for the last week, I'm fairly certain Len or April will give me the same answer. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now, but you've been so busy, and I kind of wanted to be sure before I said anything. I was going to go see Len as soon as we left Yorktown after the talks were over."

Carol stopped talking, and seemed to realize that Jim hadn't moved since her admission that the test had been positive. "Jim?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

"How did this happen?" Jim asked softly, almost to himself. His gaze was focused on the far wall and he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Carol grimaced and bit her lip, looking down as she felt the question almost like a stake to the heart. "We've been careful, but Jim you know contraceptives aren't one hundred percent effective all the time. I'm sorry, I know we didn't plan this and I know it's not the best time."

Jim immediately snapped out of his erratic thoughts as he heard the undercurrent of pain and fear in his fiancée's voice. He immediately cupped her face gently and gave her a searing kiss. Pulling back just a few inches, he smiled reassuringly. "I love you," he promised. "I won't lie, the thought of being a parent terrifies me. It's not like I had a lot of great role models for the position, but I promise you, I'm happy. And I'll do my best not to screw it up."

Carol chuckled weakly and sniffed, but she felt much better hearing him say that, knowing that he wasn't really angry or disappointed, just shocked and scared. Jim was immediately concerned, but she smiled, and he knew she had to be on the same roller coaster of emotion as him. "I'll do my best not to screw up as well." Jim immediately shook his head, and Carol reached out, grasping his hands in her own. She pulled them down and squeezed gently, reassuringly. "Jim, I'm just as terrified as you are. I mean, I wanted children someday, but this was not exactly in my plans right now. I have no idea how to take care of a child. But we'll figure it out together, right?"

Jim immediately nodded. "Agreed." He grinned and kissed her again. "I'm happy," he reiterated. "No matter how badly we mess up this kid, we're in it together, right?"

Carol rolled her eyes, but didn't contradict him. Jim's comm. chimed at that moment, and Jim answered it with an apologetic look. It was Spock, informing him that his presence was required on the Bridge, so the couple immediately straightened themselves out, got rid of any evidence of emotional discussion, and headed back out to join their colleagues.

"Captain, there is an unknown ship approaching." Spock didn't waste time with pleasantries, he simply stood up from the Captain's chair and gave his report.

"Have you hailed them?" Jim asked brusquely, focusing immediately on the issue at hand.

Uhura was the one to respond this time. "They're not responding."

Jim glanced at the Communications station, and then back to the main window in front of them. They were surrounded by the nebula; it looked like the middle of a dust storm – he had been caught in one once while he had traveled through Africa as a teenager. It hadn't been pleasant, and that feeling of being surrounded on all sides with nowhere to go was not something he would forget. Through the dust cloud around them, they could just make out what looked like a planet.

"How far away are we from the last location of Lenore's ship?"

The woman in question jerked slightly at the sound of her name, but didn't say anything as Spock responded, "Considering all factors both known and unknown, I feel confident in assessing that we have reached the approximate location Ms. Lenore speculated she departed from her ship."

Jim grit his teeth, knowing with absolute certainty that he had not been given the full story, but knowing that there was no more time for debate. "Shields up," he declared. "Uhura, send a message to Starfleet, tell them there might be an issue."

The ship rocked at that moment, and Jim grabbed onto the arm of his chair to stop from falling to the floor. "Report," he barked.

"Shields as eighty percent –"

"Multiple incoming –"

"Locking weapons –"

"Communications jammed –"

The reports came in quickly, one on top of the other. Jim turned to look at Lenore, who was standing by the railing looking slightly afraid but also guilty. "What haven't you told us?" he asked, his tone stating quite clearly that he would accept nothing less than her full cooperation.

Lenore gulped. "It wasn't a malfunction or the nebula," she admitted. "We were attacked. I didn't think you would come if I told you. I'm sorry."

Jim grit his teeth. "Your ship likely crash landed on the planet here," he acknowledged. Lenore nodded, still looking guilty.

Jim turned to Uhura, but she just looked at him regretfully. "No messages are getting out," she informed him. "I can't get through to Starfleet, there's some sort of signal blocking our communications."

The ship rocked again, and Jim ordered them to return fire. They were being swarmed though, and weren't doing nearly enough damage in response.

"Shields at ten percent," Carol reported, her voice shaking slightly.

"Options?" Jim asked Spock quietly. The Vulcan remained a steady presence at his side, and offered up the only information he could.

"Captain, I do not see a way to neutralize the threat. If we continue to take heavy fire, I anticipate less than fifteen minutes before the  _Enterprise_  is completely destroyed."

Jim nodded. He couldn't see any other options either. "Abandon ship," he said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him in surprise. He swallowed harshly and repeated himself. "Evacuate. Spock, tell the crew to get to their escape pods and get out."

Spock immediately turned to do just that, as most of those on the Bridge rushed to comply. Jim himself led Lenore to a pod and put her inside. He pushed a button, mustered up a reassuring smile, and then watched as the pod dropped off the ship and headed towards the nearby planet's surface.

As the rest of the crew started heading towards their own pods, Jim pulled Spock aside. "We need to do a systems wipe."

Spock looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. "We cannot risk vital information falling into enemy hands," he agreed.

Jim tried to hail Engineering, but nobody answered, so he sighed, and then turned back to his First Officer. "Get to Engineering and enter the code. I'll stay here to follow up and complete the process."

To wipe an entire starship was understandably difficult, and required two separate sets of commands to be entered from two different locations – Engineering and the Bridge.

Nobody who was still there looked happy with this development. Sulu and Chekov had paused in their rush to their separate pods, hearing Jim's order. Carol and Uhura were likewise drawn to the conversation between their respective significant others.

Jim took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. His expression was determined. "Spock, after you enter the code, get the hell out of there. No hesitation, no stopping for anything."

Spock raised an eyebrow in apparent confusion.

Jim grimaced. "The most valuable piece of technology we have on this ship is the warp core, Spock. Once the system wipes, I'm going to initiate self-destruct. It'll take a couple minutes for Engineering to be destroyed, so you won't have much time."

"Jim, are you sure –?"

Jim immediately cut Uhura off. "We can't afford for the technology to fall into the wrong hands, Lieutenant. Now all of you, get the hell off this ship." He turned back to Spock. "Before you leave, separate the saucer. That will stop anything else from being destroyed and buy everyone more time to evacuate."

Jim turned and almost pushed Carol towards an empty pod. He turned her around quickly before she stepped inside, and gave her a searing kiss that hopefully conveyed everything he felt.

"Jim," Carol whispered, a few tears escaping from her eyes as she tried not to cry.

Jim gave her a smile that mostly covered his unease. "I'll be right behind you," he promised.

He watched as her pod dropped, followed by Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov. When Jim turned back around, Spock was already gone, heading for Engineering.

He immediately set about shutting down systems in preparation, transferring controls back to Starfleet. He didn't need an active communications line to do this, fortunately. Starfleet would now have access to all of the data they had collected over the last few years, so it wouldn't be completely lost.

Spock commed him just as he finished, confirming that the overrides were set in Engineering. Jim thanked him, and told him to get to an escape pod, before he started typing in code sequences on the computer console.

The self-destruct was a systematic process, and Jim's expertise with the ship allowed him to focus it on specific areas while ignoring the rest. He typed in the commands just in time, as a large jolt indicated Spock had separated the saucer from the rest of the ship.

Jim didn't waste any more time, and headed for the last escape pod on the Bridge.

**XXX**

Spock was heading towards the nearest escape pod when there was a large bang and he saw a strange machine protruding into the ship from the outside. He ducked around a corner and watched, concerned, as several unknown personnel emerged from the machine – an enemy ship? – and started running in the opposite direction. He considered following, but he had at best five minutes before the entire Engineering deck would be gone. Self-destruct was a last resort, but Jim was right in that it was their only option if they wanted to ensure no one would get their hands on the  _Enterprise_ 's warp core.

He was about to stand up and continue on his original path now that the enemies were out of sight, but a hand on his arm stayed his movement. He was about to grab it and twist, when he realized it belonged to Doctor McCoy. He frowned minutely. "Doctor, why are you still on board?"

McCoy glowered. "Helping injured get off the ship," he replied. "I was clearing Engineering when I saw the saucer separating. Those guys who you're hiding from were heading up – I think they were trying to get to the Bridge. They won't be happy to find that that's impossible now. What the hell is Jim's plan?"

If Spock were completely human he might have bitten his lip in apprehension. But instead, he just offered up a small head shake. "The Captain made the logical point that we must wipe the ship's systems to ensure no enemy could find classified Starfleet details. I performed the necessary requirements in Engineering, while he remained behind to complete the process on the Bridge. Following that, he planned to initiate a self-destruct of Engineering, to ensure everything would be destroyed. Specifically, he was concerned about the warp core technology."

"Damn it," McCoy muttered. He couldn't go looking for Jim now though. He just had to hope the idiot would get off the ship before it crashed on the planet below them. "We need to go. From what I can tell, we're the last of it, everyone else should have already evacuated."

A loud boom shook the ship around them, and Spock knew that was the fuel cells igniting. "Doctor McCoy, we must depart. The nearest escape pods are –"

"You don't have to tell me," McCoy griped. "I know they're too damn far away." He looked around, and then focused on the enemy ship that had pierced through the  _Enterprise_ 's walls so that the assholes could board. "No time, we gotta go."

He headed for the vessel, and Spock had no choice but to follow.

**XXX**

Jim landed heavily in a forest. The pod impacted with the ground in a move that made him especially glad he was buckled in. Even so, his bones seemed to shake in protest, and he felt a few ribs twinge painfully. He ignored the ache and focused on the keypad in front of him, entering the sequence to open the pod.

As he stepped out shakily, he found himself looking around at a planet similar to Earth. He was surrounded by trees, but there was no one in sight. He pulled out his communicator, but immediately slumped disappointedly at seeing the cracked screen. Pressing the power button confirmed that it would still turn on, but it wouldn't work as it was intended. He couldn't get it to make any calls.

A shout caught his attention, and he put the comm. away, looking around. A moment later, Chekov came rushing out of the trees. His face split into a relieved grin when he saw Jim, and he hurried over.

Behind the navigator, Lenore followed. She seemed no worse for the wear, but looked like she had bitten off more than she could chew.

"Jim!" Chekov gave him a tight hug, and the Captain tried not to wince as his ribs groaned in protest. "Thank god!"

Jim pulled back and looked between him and Lenore. "Have you seen anyone else?" he asked.

Chekov immediately shook his head. "Lenore and I landed close to each other. We haven't found anyone but you."

Jim tried not to show his worry, but it was hard. His crew was out there somewhere. Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, Spock, McCoy, April, and especially Carol. Not to mention the other roughly 50 crew members who had come on this rescue mission. Where were they?

"What do we do?" Chekov's voice sounded small and uncertain, and Jim immediately focused on the immediate problem.

He glared at Lenore. "Who was that who attacked us?" he asked harshly.

Lenore bit her lip. "His name is Krall. He attacked my ship as well."

Jim was still seething at this woman's deception, but there were other things he had to focus on right now. He looked back at Chekov. "Do you have your communicator? Mine's not working."

Chekov shook his head regretfully. "I didn't grab it before heading for the escape pods."

Jim sighed. "All right then. Pick a direction, and let's see what we can find."

**XXX**

When Carol came to, she didn't immediately understand where she was. As her blurry vision cleared, however, she slowly recognized that she was in an escape pod, and the recent events came flooding back. She also felt like she was going to throw up, and really didn't want to do that until she got outside.

Carol groaned weakly, and lifted a hand to the keypad to try and push the buttons in the right sequence so that she could do just that. Before she could, however – not that she was altogether certain she could hit the buttons, considering how dizzy she was – the door opened on its own, and then there was a pair of hands helping unbuckle her and pull her outside.

Carol stumbled away and fell to her knees, throwing up harshly.

The hands were there, rubbing her back reassuringly, and once she finished, Carol looked up to see who had saved her.

April smiled gently, hands moving to probe a dark bruise around Carol's left temple. There was some blood there too, and the doctor knew how to detect head injuries, even without proper medical equipment. "Just breathe through it," she advised. "It looks like you've hit your head pretty hard, huh?"

Carol shrugged, and tried to stand up. April was immediately there helping her. She swayed on her feet for a moment, before she settled. "Shit that hurts," the Lieutenant breathed, one hand moving to hold her head in a futile effort to get the pounding to stop.

April winced sympathetically. "Blurry vision? Dizziness?" Carol nodded, and then stopped quickly as the pounding intensified. April pursed her lips. "That with the nausea makes a pretty compelling case for a concussion. We can't stay here though, so do you think you're up for a hike?"

Carol wasn't one hundred percent sure if the nausea was the head injury or the pregnancy, but she didn't say anything either way. "Lead the way," she said instead, and let April guide her away from her escape pod and into the surrounding forest.

**XXX**

McCoy had barely passed his flight exam at the Academy – everyone had to take the basic piloting course in order to move on to second year, and it had taken him three tries to beat the final exam. The only reason he had managed to pass was because of Jim and Sulu, who had taken him up on multiple test runs almost every weekend for the last half of the semester; he had been grateful for their help that saw him scrape out a C in his third go.

Even if he had done exceptionally well, however, the enemy ship's controls were completely different from any Starfleet vessel he had seen.

Spock wasn't too much help either, though he had passed his own flight exam with considerably higher marks than the doctor. Interestingly enough, that fact actually made McCoy feel slightly better.

Their combined effort resulted in them managing to slow the ship down enough that they weren't immediately killed on impact when it crashed on the planet's surface. It still caused both officers to get tossed around a bit, and Spock lost consciousness before they came to a stop on the planet's surface.

When he regained consciousness, he had been dragged out of the destroyed ship, and McCoy was hovering over him with a look that, if Spock didn't know better, would have been called worry. "Doctor?" he asked, simultaneously informing the emotional human that he was alert while also requesting a status report.

McCoy blinked, startled, and turned his gaze from Spock's abdomen to look the Vulcan in the eye. "Well, we survived," he said needlessly.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "That is obvious," he deadpanned.

McCoy shifted back slightly in surprise, and then smiled slightly. He knew Jim thought the Vulcan had a wicked sense of humor, but he rarely got to see it for himself. "Anyway, try not to move too much. You've got a hunk of metal sticking out of your abdomen. If what I remember of Vulcan anatomy is correct, it's dangerously close to your heart. I need to get it out soon, but if I just pull it, you could bleed out before I can do anything."

Spock stopped trying to sit up, and let the doctor work. "Your care during our service together has shown you to be competent at understanding the anatomy of many Federation races, Doctor, including Vulcans. I trust your expertise."

McCoy was the one to raise an eyebrow now. "Was that Vulcan speak for you trust me not to kill you?"

Spock closed his eyes. "Indeed."

McCoy shook his head, and got to work. He glanced at the destroyed ship in front of him, and focused on the small fire that had sprung up inside. "Shit," he muttered, the beginnings of a Jim-level of stupid idea starting to form.

Spock opened his eyes at the swear. "Something tells me I am not going to like your solution," he observed.

McCoy swallowed. "I'm not even going to like this plan, Spock, but I think it's all we've got." He picked up a small branch, and handed it to the Commander. "Bite down on this."

Spock took the branch, confused, and watched as McCoy stood up and disappeared from his view, moving back towards the ship that was behind Spock.

The doctor returned a minute later, carrying a small piece of metal that was a glowing orange color on one side, regular dull gray on the other.

McCoy had been lucky to find a separated piece he could lift, that was only lying half in the fire on the ship. It would be crude and hurt like hell, but it would work for now. "Bite," he instructed.

Spock looked back at the stick in his hand, now understanding what McCoy's plan was. "I am not going to like this at all," he reiterated, and then stuck the branch between his teeth.

McCoy didn't give him a chance to settle. In one quick move, he pulled the piece of metal out of Spock's abdomen, causing the Vulcan to let out a muffle scream around the branch. Searing pain erupted in his stomach, as the doctor then pressed the burning hot piece of metal to the open wound, cruelly cauterizing it to stop the blood flow.

A few seconds later, McCoy removed the metal, and threw it aside. The area around the wound was scorched slightly, but at least it was no longer bleeding. He knew there was probably internal damage he would need to fix later, but the chances of Spock dying before they could find help or any of their friends was significantly lowered.

He gave Spock a few minutes to catch his breath, and then sighed when it looked like the Vulcan had his pain under control. "We really should get moving," he said regretfully. "Don't get me wrong, the last thing I want to do is drag you around with an injury like that, but if someone saw the ship go down, they'll be looking for us."

Spock just nodded and let McCoy haul him to his feet. "I concur," his voice was winded, but he was steady enough when McCoy let go.

With no idea where to go or where their friends were, McCoy randomly picked a direction, and they started walking.

**XXX**

When Scotty managed to extract himself from his escape pod, a quick glance around showed that he was alone. The woods around him were quiet, eerily so. With no companions, no communicator, and no idea where the hell he was, he was left with no other option than to pick a direction at random and hope he found a friendly face soon.

**XXX**

Uhura and Sulu didn't even get a chance to step outside their pods and wonder where they were or what the hell had happened. Both had felt themselves snatched out of the air as they fell towards the planet's surface, and the enemy's faces were their first view of this new dire situation.

They found themselves herded towards a large courtyard surrounded on all four sides by tall fences. Every time they tried to talk, a phaser prodded their backs and warned them to shut up.

Pushed inside the cage – because that's what it was even if it was outdoors – Uhura managed to turn around and glare at their captors before they slammed the gate shut and locked it from the outside.

Attention focusing back on her surroundings, the Communications officer gave Sulu's arm a reassuring squeeze, before her gaze swept over the other occupants of this cage.

There were roughly forty to fifty members of the crew there, meaning they could be missing up to twenty people. Even in this grim situation, Uhura couldn't help but feel grateful that they had left Yorktown with a skeleton crew for this mission. Sure, it was abundantly clear that 'easy mission' was a serious understatement, but she shuddered to think of what could have happened if they had had their full crew of over five hundred on board when they were attacked.

Sulu looked over at his fellow senior officer. He, like her, had probably immediately noticed several glaring absences. Where was the rest of the command crew?

Before he could say anything, however, the gate opened once more, and a large man, skin darker than Nyota's, entered.

**XXX**

April kept trying to comm. any of their friends, but all she kept getting was a low static. She tried to hide her worry, but it was obvious to Carol, who was doing her best just to keep walking in a straight line.

"Could the atmosphere be interfering?" the Brit asked when they stopped for a quick break after a few hours of wandering through the trees without seeing any signs of intelligent life.

April bit her lip and glanced at her comm. "Possibly," she acknowledged. Another alternative would be that no one had their comm. with them when they abandoned ship, or their devices were broken, or had been taken from them if they had been captured by whoever had attacked them, or… they couldn't answer because they were…

Her mind shuttered closed, not even allowing herself to complete that thought. Her mouth formed into a grim line, and she looked over at her friend. "We should keep going."

Carol was exhausted, her head was killing her, and she hadn't stopped feeling queasy since escaping the  _Enterprise_. She had already forced April to stop twice while she threw up everything in her stomach – not that there was much left at this point. But she refused to drag April down, so she just pushed herself up, and let the doctor continue to lead her forward.


	11. Chapter 11

Jim, Chekov, and Lenore had been walking for hours. Lenore seemed to want to ask the Starfleet officers where they were going, but didn't seem to want to draw their attention any more than necessary.

"How do you know we're going in the right direction?" Chekov finally asked, taking the dilemma away from the newcomer who had gotten them into this mess. It wasn't to help her in any way, but he was curious. He trusted Jim more than anyone, but he really wanted to know if the older man had any kind of plan in mind – his own experience told him that Jim probably did, but he wouldn't mind being on the same page as the Captain.

Jim glanced back at the two younger people behind him. " _Enterprise_  has scanners on board that should help us find any other life forms on this planet," he explained. "Even after crashing, we should be able to reroute whatever power's left to search the surface for any other survivors."

It wouldn't tell them who those survivors were, but at least it would be confirmation that there were other members of his crew out there. He could only hope and pray that Carol was one of them.

Chekov frowned. "How do you know where the ship crashed?" he asked curiously.

Lenore also looked interested. Interested and a little too eager. Jim's skin hadn't stopped crawling since they had all met again on the planet's surface, and if he was honest, he'd had a bad feeling ever since this stranger had set foot on the  _Enterprise_ 's Bridge back at Yorktown. He should have known better than to accept Jon's word when he said this mission shouldn't be too difficult. He was Jim Kirk, things were never that easy.

Still though, Jim couldn't really do anything when all he had to go on was a 'feeling'.

In answer to Chekov's question, he pointed up to the sky. The trees were not so thick that they couldn't see to the blue sky above them. "See the sky over there?" he gestured off to the distance. Chekov squinted, and then nodded in realization. It was subtle, but the sky in the direction Jim had pointed in was grayer, and a little hazy. It looked like something large was burning. Jim smiled and lowered his arm. "I figure if we keep heading towards that, we'll find the ship."

With renewed determination, Chekov continued to follow his Captain.

At the back of the line, Lenore glanced up at the sky, and then back to the Starfleet officers. A small smirk formed on her lips, before she schooled her face back into neutrality, and continued following the two men.

**XXX**

Uhura and Sulu took a step back as the unknown man entered. He observed them carefully, and then sneered, "Good, you're here. We wouldn't want you to miss this."

Uhura glared. "You won't get away with this. I don't care who you are or what you're planning, Starfleet will stop you."

The man didn't seem phased by her protests. "You are too far out of your depth. You have no idea what you've stepped into."

He was correct, but Uhura didn't let it stop her from spitting at his feet. "Screw you," she said calmly.

Sulu almost groaned at her attitude, knowing that it wouldn't endear her to their captors, and vowed to protect her from any wrath in whatever way he could.

The man looked like he was gearing up to attack her, but a disturbance behind him drew his attention and let him calm down.

Another man was walking up to join them. "Krall, don't waste your energy. These people are dead already, let them have their moment of pointless defiance."

Uhura completely failed to hide her gasp as she caught a glimpse of the newcomer.

Sulu standing next to her felt his mouth drop open in shock, and even the other crew members, who had remained silent until this moment, couldn't help but recognize the face of Kodos, the man who had been splashed all over the news outlets when he had stood trial several years earlier. Stood trial for the genocide on the planet Tarsus IV, and been sentenced to life on a remote prison planet. It was even more personal for them, knowing what this man had done to their Captain when he was a teenager.

Kodos smirked at the two officers in front of him. "I can't wait for you to see what happens next." His gaze swept across the group of officers, his smirk widening into a leer.

After another moment of tense silence, he turned around and left the enclosure. Krall glared at the Starfleet officers one more time, before he followed behind. The gate swung ominously shut behind him.

**XXX**

After the fourth time Carol stopped to dart around a tree and empty the contents of her already empty stomach, April had had enough. Even a bad concussion shouldn't cause this much vomiting. Dizziness was common, even continued queasiness, but she shouldn't actually be throwing up this much. The doctor had also seen Carol holding her stomach a few times – possibly because of the nausea, but there may be a simpler explanation for all of this.

When Carol returned a few minutes later, wiping her mouth and grimacing, April just raised an eyebrow in expectation. "So how far along are you?" she asked curiously, playing her hunch.

Carol jerked back, looking at April like a deer in headlights. "What?" she replied, unable to hide the panic in her voice.

April rolled her eyes, Carol's own reaction confirming what she thought. "I'm a doctor, Carol. A pretty good one, too. Plus, I'm also a woman. I know what the signs of pregnancy are."

Carol winced and ducked her head, acknowledging that the doctor's guess was right. "About six or seven weeks I think," she admitted. "Though that's really just an estimate based on what I know about pregnancy and when I started throwing up every morning. I was going to see Len once we left Yorktown."

April grinned and moved forward quickly, giving her friend a tight hug. "Congratulations!" she said excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!" She pulled back suddenly, realizing that their situation had just gotten a whole lot more serious and complicated. She had another thought. "Does Jim know?"

Carol immediately nodded, easing at least one of April's concerns. "He found the box from the pregnancy test, and confronted me on the ship right before we were attacked. I had to keep leaving my station to throw up, and I guess he decided he couldn't wait until we got back to Yorktown to talk to me."

April smiled. "I bet he was thrilled. He's going to be a great dad."

Carol bit her lip and looked down. "He said he was happy, but I could tell it wasn't completely true." April frowned, and Carol shrugged. "He's scared. He said he had no role models for good parents growing up, so he has no idea how to do this."

April rolled her eyes. "No parent does," she said firmly. "I'm sure all new parents feel like that, and as for Jim not knowing what a good parent is? Please, he's got more practice than he realizes." Carol made a questioning noise, and April sighed. "Even just looking at recent circumstances, he's been great with Joanna for years. Yes, he does eventually always hand her back to her father, but I've witnessed him in the role of stern parent, fun parent, responsible parent. He knows how to do it, even if he hasn't realized that yet."

April took a seat, silently inviting Carol to do the same. They had been walking for hours, they could afford to take a little bit of a longer break right now. When Carol joined her on the ground, the doctor continued. "When he was fourteen years old, Jim became a leader to a group of over twenty kids. Some of us, sure, were even older than him, but there were many who hadn't even reached ten years old at the time. We might have called Jim our Captain, but he was also like a father to some of the younger ones. There's a reason we were known as 'JT's Kids'. Yes, he was busy making sure we all had food and medicine, and Percy and Anya were the ones taking charge of the younger kids on a day-to-day basis, but I also got to see him reading them bedtime stories, teaching them how to play chess, soothing away their nightmares and fears…" April sighed. The situation had been horrible, but as macabre as it sounded, she did have a few fond memories from that time – and almost all of them centered around Jim. Offering Carol another smile, she added, "You're both going to figure this out as you go. I promise Carol, even if he's scared, he's still happy. He can be both, so please don't doubt it."

Carol nodded, trying to muster up a smile of her own. "Thanks, April. I really appreciate it." She sniffed, and then wiped her nose and eyes. Her hands went through her hair in an effort to tame some of the knots that had developed from their long hike. "I guess I'm scared too. Not just about being a mother, but…" she gestured around them. "This whole situation. I suppose I haven't really had a chance to process yet, but I'm terrified that I'll never see him again, never get a chance to really sit down at talk about it." She fingered her engagement ring absentmindedly. "Will he even be alive to see our child born?"

April immediately cut off that line of thinking. "Don't even consider that," she admonished. "Jim's alive. He made it to the surface, and I know he's doing everything in his power to find you."

Carol frowned. "How can you know that?"

April offered up a grim smile. "Because he's Jim Kirk. Surviving is what he does." She fell silent for a moment, and then added, "Besides, he'd never put any of his children through what his own father did to him. He would never abandon his kids."

Carol's frown deepened. "George Kirk didn't mean to abandon his children. It wasn't like he had any say in the matter."

April inclined her head slightly, acknowledging that Carol was right. "My first point still stands though," she said firmly. "Jim doesn't know how to give up or give in. He's a survivor, and I bet he's already working on a way to get all of us back to Yorktown safely." She stood up and brushed herself off. "Come on," she offered a hand to Carol and used it to help drag the Lieutenant to her feet as well, "let's keep going."

**XXX**

"I think the smoke is getting thicker," Lenore's quiet voice broke the comfortable silence.

Jim and Chekov both glanced up at the sky, and it did look grayer then it had a few minutes ago. The air around them also seemed to be thicker, indicating they were getting closer to their goal. Continuing on their path, roughly fifteen minutes later they reached an opening in the trees. In front of them lay an enormous ravine, and there at the bottom was a rather scorched saucer that used to be the  _USS Enterprise_.

Jim was glad he had been thinking ten moves ahead back on the ship. He had almost decided to destroy the entire ship, just in case. There was no telling what a warrior race might do with some of the technology on the Bridge. But the most damage would come if someone got their hands on the technology in Engineering – that was where the warp core was, where the weapons were, and where Scotty did most of his experimenting. Destroying that level alone would lessen the chance of anyone weaponizing their ship against them.

And Jim had been considering the next moves. He had known that he would need more than just a personal communicator to find the rest of his crew once they had landed on the planet. He had had a feeling he might need the ship's more powerful scanners to get them out of this mess, so it had made sense from a logical standpoint to make sure the Bridge would remain intact after they evacuated.

Chekov let out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a moan, and moved to head down into the ravine.

Jim glanced at Lenore, catching an anticipatory smirk as she moved to let him go first, and he was moving before he even consciously thought about it. He grabbed Lenore and slammed her up against the closest tree. Chekov stopped walking and turned to look at the confrontation behind him, confused.

"What's waiting for us down there?" Jim glared.

Lenore tried to look confused at first, but then she smiled. "What gave it away, Captain?"

Jim's glare intensified. "It's the perfect ambush location. I've survived a lot of situations that should have killed me because I know how to trust my instincts."

Lenore's eyes gleamed. "So, you've known all along?"

Jim growled. "If I had had anything more than a feeling, we wouldn't be here in the first place. But your story was a little too perfectly contrived to be true. Must have thought you were springing the perfect trap, playing on our need to help."

Lenore smirked. "And you played so well into it, Captain. Made my job easy. Well, this has been fun, but I think you have a pressing engagement."

A shot fired, and Jim dove to the ground. The phaser fire impacted the tree, and Jim rolled to his feet quickly, grabbing a branch from the ground as he did so.

There were four men surrounding them. Jim used the reach of the branch to his advantage, and out of the corner of his eye caught Chekov dropping Lenore with a few well-placed punches.

Together, the two fought ferociously, incapacitating each enemy one by one until it was just the two of them left standing.

Jim didn't even spare a glance at the ship behind them as he grabbed Chekov's arm and gestured for him to run.

Now that the enemy knew where the remains of the ship were, and knew that Jim was interested in using the technology on it, they couldn't go back.

Fortunately, Jim had left out the part where he would have to do some coding to get the scanners up and running, and after a systems wipe none of the computers on board would respond to anything other than a series of specific Starfleet passcodes from Command – codes Jim knew because, well, he was Jim, but for anyone else it would be impossible. Lenore wouldn't be able to use the scanners to pick up any survivors.

The two ran for as long as they could, weaving through the trees to try and throw off any pursuers.

Finally, Jim pulled Chekov into a small dip in the ground, between a couple piles of rocks. It would provide a decent cover for them to catch their breath.

"You knew all along?" Chekov asked, winded.

Jim grimaced and pulled out his communicator again. The screen was cracked, but it still had a charge, even if it wouldn't work to call people. If he could rewire it, he might be able to use it for something else. "Like I said, I didn't have more than a gut feeling," he admitted. "The way she changed her story to fit the circumstances, and she seemed too eager to get the two of us into that ravine. I've spent a lifetime developing the skills necessary to stay alive, and Lenore was pinging off the radar from the beginning. But without more to go on, it's not like I could tell Jon or Commodore Paris 'no'."

Chekov nodded in understanding, and then watched as Jim pulled the back off of his communicator. "What are you doing? I thought you said it was broken."

Jim shrugged. "It won't make calls, but it's not completely broken. The calling feature is toast and the screen is busted, but if I rewire it a little, I'm pretty sure I can turn it into a scanning device."

"So we can find our friends without the  _Enterprise_?" Chekov asked eagerly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Jim glanced at him briefly and then went back to work. "I didn't know if it would work, and I didn't want Lenore to know we had alternatives. I wanted to play it out, see if she would show her true colors. And she did." He winced as a few sparks were thrown by him crossing two wires. "Besides, this isn't going to be nearly as powerful as the  _Enterprise_ 's scanners, and there's no guarantee there will be anyone within range. The ship could have done this all with just a few keystrokes, and would have easily been able to search for life signs for a hundred miles. We won't get nearly that big a search radius with this," he wiggled the device slightly, "maybe twenty or thirty miles, max." Jim fell silent as he got back to work.

Chekov let him be, knowing that he would just be a distraction while Jim was trying to concentrate. After about fifteen minutes, the older man let out a triumphant sound, and put the device back together. "That should do it," he said victoriously.

Chekov watched eagerly as Jim powered the device back on. He had managed to figure out why the screen was dark, and so they could faintly see a map appear underneath all the cracks. It was very dim, but it was something.

Jim frowned in concentration as he fiddled with the communicator. "I can't search for life signs," he admitted, "but I'm scanning for Starfleet signals. If anyone has a communicator turned on, it should show up."

Chekov watched over his shoulder as Jim zoomed the map out. He pointed to a red dot in the top right corner that was coming from the direction they had run from after defeating Lenore and her companions. "That's probably the  _Enterprise_ ," he said. "Even if the ship is dead, there's still the emergency transponder that would emit a signal." He moved the map around a little, and then frowned in confusion. "There's another signal coming from over here," he glanced up, looking in the direction of the signal. "I'd say twenty miles or so in that direction. But there's something off about it." He looked back down at the communicator and pulled up some more information.

"What's wrong?" Chekov asked.

Jim's frown intensified. "It's very outdated," he said slowly. "It's definitely Starfleet, but it's got to be decades old. The only reason I even recognize it is because of the research I did while studying for my master's degree."

"Is it another ship then?"

Jim shrugged. "I don't know," he replied, unhappy with the uncertainties. "But it's probably our best bet."

Chekov pursed his lips. "Maybe we'll find more scanners there? Even if they're older, we could probably boost the signal, right? We can find everyone without going back to the  _Enterprise_."

Jim nodded again, not quite as positive but knowing that whatever this signal was, was probably their best option. "Let's get going," he said, keeping a hold on his comm. as he stood up.

Together, they left their slight protection, and headed towards whatever was sending out the signal.

**XXX**

Scotty had been walking alone for hours and had no idea where he was. He could be heading further and further away from any other survivors, and he'd never know. His thoughts kept getting darker as the hours passed without seeing anyone else.

A grunt and a rustling sound drew him out of his morose thoughts, and he looked up just in time to see five people stumbling through the trees towards him. Four were strangers, but he recognized the fifth as the woman who had escaped her ship and been rescued by Yorktown. Lenore? That was her name, right?

All five of them looked a little worse for the wear, sporting bruises and dried blood. He was about to call out to them when he was spotted first, and then the men with Lenore immediately rushed towards him threateningly.

Scotty let out a yelp as one man punched him, and he dropped to the ground. For Christ's sake he was an Engineer, not Security! He wasn't trained in hand to hand combat!

He took a few kicks to his stomach, and then suddenly the men were gone. Scotty braved looking up to see a stranger coming to his rescue.

She was tall and well built, humanoid but clearly not human. Scotty didn't recognize her – he wasn't as good with faces and names as Jim was, but he knew every crew member at least, they had all served together for years after all. She also wasn't wearing a Starfleet uniform, so that was another tip off.

The Chief Engineer watched in awe as the stranger took her staff and clicked the end. Suddenly, there were four of her, and all of them immediately attacked the enemies.

It didn't take too long for all four of the men to go down, but Scotty saw Lenore slip away while the strange woman and her copies were occupied. If he wasn't so winded, he might have chased after her.

Instead, he just relaxed into the ground slightly, now that the immediate danger was over. The woman clicked her staff again, and the copies disappeared as she straightened from her fighter's crouch.

Scotty sucked in a deep breath and stood up as well, holding up his hands immediately in a gesture of surrender as the woman leveled her staff at him. "I'm unarmed," he said quickly. "Thank you for your help."

The woman looked at him silently, but didn't respond.

Scotty frowned. "Do you… speak Standard?" This could get really complicated if she didn't. It wasn't like he had access to a universal translator out here. He could probably whip one up if he had a communicator, but unfortunately he didn't have that either.

The woman studied him carefully, her gaze narrowing as she seemed to focus on his chest. "What is that?" she asked brusquely, allaying his current train of thought with relief that even though she was probably about two seconds away from spearing him to death, at least they could speak the same language.

Scotty tilted his head in confusion. "What's what?"

The woman pointed her staff towards his chest, and Scotty looked down. "That. That mark. What is it?"

Scotty risked lowering one hand to point at the symbol on his chest. "What, this? It's a Starfleet insignia. It means I'm a member of Starfleet, a peacekeeping organization for the Federation. This particular design means I'm a member of the Engineering crew."

The woman frowned. "What is Engineering?"

Scotty smiled slightly, and lowered both his arms, feeling a little bit calmer now that she didn't seem to be as likely to kill him. "It means I fix things. I'm responsible for making sure our ship can fly and function properly."

There was a loud snap from the trees around them, and both Scotty and the stranger turned in that direction. The woman held up her staff, ready to attack.

A minute later, two more people stumbled out of the trees, and Scotty almost wilted in relief. "Oh thank God! Do you have any idea how long I've been stumbling around here alone?" He looked over at the woman next to him. "They're friends," he assured her. "Their names are April and Carol. And I'm Scotty by the way."

The woman frowned indecisively, considering. April and Carol had immediately held up their hands at seeing the weapon pointed at them, but lowered them when the woman put her staff down.

"Jayla," she replied shortly.

Scotty smiled. "Nice to meet ya, lassie. You've got really good timing." He gestured to the bodies around them, showing April and Carol the stranger's handiwork. Turning back to the two newcomers, he bit his lip. "Have you found anything, or anyone?"

April shook her head, and Carol looked like she was trying really hard not to cry. "No one," the doctor confirmed. "We could all be walking in circles and completely missing each other. I tried my comm., but haven't gotten any response."

"Come," Jayla cut in brusquely. "I take you to my house."

Scotty frowned, but followed the woman when she started walking away. Carol and April shared a look, but they followed willingly enough.

"Where do you live?" Scotty asked, huffing as he ran to catch up.

Jayla just pointed in front of her. "This way."

April frowned. "Why do you want us to go to your house?" she asked, confused.

Jayla looked at Scotty. "I need you to fix something." She looked at the other two women. "Do you engineering too?" The way she said the word made it clear it wasn't one she was familiar with.

April and Carol shook their heads, smiling slightly. "I'm a doctor," April replied.

Jayla looked at Carol, and she shrugged. "Science." It was easier than trying to explain molecular biology and applied physics.

Jayla turned her attention back to her surroundings, and didn't speak again as they continued to their destination.

It was nearly an hour later when the trees opened up, and Jayla led them onto what looked like a rocky cliff. What lay at the top, however, stunned all of them.

It was a ship. An old, probably dead ship, but it was definitely a ship.

Scotty gaped as Jayla led them inside, passing through a force field that seemed to recognize the woman and deactivate, letting the rest pass as well.

Inside, Scotty was drawn immediately to an insignia on the wall. "This is a Starfleet vessel!" he exclaimed, running a hand across the old fashioned and out of date insignia. Jayla's interest in the pin on his shirt suddenly made sense.

Carol frowned as she took in the logo as well. Next to the insignia was the name of the vessel, and her frown deepened in confusion. "The  _USS Franklin_  was one of the first space-capable ships designed after the Vulcans initiated contact," she recalled. "But it wouldn't have been capable of traveling out here. We're light years from Earth."

Scotty looked over at her and nodded. "I remember that name. The ship went missing during a mission, right? Everyone just vanished and no one ever heard from them again."

Carol nodded. "The crew is still listed as missing in Starfleet's files."

"How could that happen?" April wondered. "And how could it make it all the way out here?"

Jayla looked slightly curious, but mostly impatient.

Scotty shrugged. "Wormhole maybe? We may never know." He turned back to Jayla. "Right, so what was it you wanted me to fix, lassie?"

Jayla pointed to the main computer console at the front of the Bridge. "Fix it. Make it fly, so I can leave this place."

Scotty's eyes widened, and he shared a significant look with April and Carol. Here was a way off this planet. If they could find the others, they now had a way to leave. His mouth set into a grim line, and he nodded, focused. "Let's see what we're working with then."


	12. Chapter 12

Jim and Chekov had only walked a few miles when Jim decided it was too dark to safely continue. They managed to find a relatively secure small cave that was devoid of any life and hunkered down for the night, trying to avoid the pangs of hunger and thirst.

It had been almost twenty-four hours since they had crashed, though it was only just now going dark, indicating that the rotation of this planet took longer to complete than Earth. In any event, both men were exhausted, and though Jim had at least had some experience in going without the necessities of food, water, and rest, Chekov was something of a novice. He handled himself well though, and never complained about the situation. They had passed a stream earlier, but given a lack of ability to test the water and make sure it was safe, Jim wasn't quite willing to take the risk.

"We'll get to that signal tomorrow," he said, settling down on the cave's floor. Chekov sat next to him and leaned back against the wall, eyes slipping closed. "Just try and get some sleep, Pavel," Jim continued. "We'll figure this out."

The Navigator fell asleep easily, but Jim couldn't force his brain to shut off as quickly, no matter how exhausted he was. Somewhere out there, Carol was probably wondering where the hell he was and if he was still alive. He refused to consider the possibility that she was dead.

He had to find her. He had to make sure she and their baby were safe and healthy.

Somewhere out there, McCoy, April, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and the rest of his crew were probably also wondering where he and Chekov were. He could only hope that when they got to whatever was sending out this outdated Starfleet signal, they would find help.

With that slightly optimistic thought, Jim settled himself back and let himself doze off. He wouldn't go into a deep sleep now, not when there was a chance they may be surprised and attacked at any point, but he allowed his eyes and his body to rest a little, so that he could continue strongly tomorrow.

**XXX**

McCoy managed to half-drag Spock away from the ruined ship. The Commander was conscious and making a valiant effort to ignore or function around the pain in his abdomen, but still hurting. McCoy was moderately impressed with the Vulcan's tenacity – it reminded him of Jim's superhuman ability to push pain aside to do what needed to be done.

But he wasn't about to tell Spock that, so they just stumbled forward in silence. They had to stop frequently to rest, and eventually, McCoy spotted what looked like a few caves a short distance away. "Come on," he huffed, "let's get in there and I'll take another look at your injury."

Spock didn't waste any breath replying, he just followed the doctor. With his injury it felt like an age – though his Vulcan brain knew it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes – until they were tripping across the entrance to a shallow cave.

McCoy set Spock down immediately, resting him against the wall a few feet into the cave, before he took a few more minutes to look around their temporary haven. It wasn't too deep, no more than ten or fifteen feet, and less than ten feet wide. There was no back entrance, so anyone trying to surprise them would have to come through the front.

McCoy spared a moment to wish he had a phaser, but then he wasn't that good a shot anyway. Neither he nor Spock had any weapons on them, which would definitely make things more difficult if they were discovered.

His survey of the cave done, the doctor returned to Spock's side and gently pushed his shirt up. His expression darkened as he saw the vivid green bruise covering the Vulcan's right side.

Spock opened one eye as he felt his clothing moved. "Am I to extrapolate from your expression, Doctor, that my injury is more grievous than you had anticipated?"

Even speaking a full sentence seemed to exhaust him.

McCoy almost smiled at the thought that even seriously injured, Spock still insisted in speaking in such professional terms. Letting the slight amusement go, he sighed and pushed Spock's shirt back down. "It's not great," he admitted. "I think you're still bleeding internally, but without actual equipment, I can't be sure, and I can't do anything about it." He hovered his tricorder over the wound for a moment, but it wasn't telling him much beyond significant bruising, so he set it aside, annoyed.

McCoy sat down next to the Commander and let himself relax a little. "Just try not to move too much for now, we'll get some rest and keep going in a little while."

Spock didn't bother trying to protest. He knew he couldn't go any further right now. "I trust your judgement, Doctor."

McCoy raised an eyebrow. "Wow, was that actually a show of support?"

He was joking, of course. He would consider Spock a friend, but over their years of service together the two of them had managed to establish a relationship that seemed to revolve around their continued attempts to rile the other up.

Spock seemed to actually take his question seriously though, and McCoy was suddenly worried about that injury doing more damage than he had originally thought. "I trust you implicitly, Leonard. Your skills as a doctor are unparalleled. In addition, I find that your character as a human can be matched by very few."

McCoy blinked. That was probably the first time Spock had ever used his first name. "Thanks," he said, not knowing what other response he could give.

Spock inclined his head and settled back against the cave wall.

The two sat in silence for a while. McCoy was trying to gather strength to continue supporting the Vulcan as they tried to find a way out of this mess, and he assumed that Spock was meditating in an effort to do the same.

It startled him then, when Spock suddenly spoke, over an hour after they had first entered the cave. "I have recently found myself contemplating my relationship with Nyota." McCoy opened his eyes and looked to his left, observing the Commander. Spock's eyes remained closed. "I have observed your progress with Doctor Vanderbilt from significant other to engaged couple to husband and wife. Similarly, the Captain and Lieutenant Wallace are advancing through the same stages. It has caused me to reflect upon my own relationship, and the logicality of progressing forward."

McCoy frowned. "Are you thinking about asking Uhura to marry you?"

Spock gave a half shrug and finally opened his eyes. He didn't look at his companion though, just studied the far wall of the cave. "Vulcans do not marry in the human sense. We initiate bonds with our mates. Being that I am only half Vulcan and Nyota is human, I am uncertain if a full bond is possible, but it would make logical sense for Nyota and myself to be able to initiate a partial bond."

McCoy tilted his head to one side. "How does Uhura feel about that?" he asked curiously. "I know she respects your heritage and culture; does she want to have a Vulcan bond?"

Spock almost grimaced. "I find myself hesitant to ask her," he admitted.

McCoy rolled his eyes. "Why do I have to be the relationship guru here," he grumbled. "First, I had to get Jim's head out of his ass to fix things with Carol, now I'm counseling a damn Vulcan!" Spock looked over at the doctor, finally, his expression showing minute confusion. McCoy shook his head. "Talk to your girlfriend, Spock. You've definitely been together long enough to know whether or not you want to get married."

Spock pursed his lips. "You are correct, Doctor. I do believe I should approach the subject with Nyota. My concerns stem mainly from a thought that asking her to bond in the Vulcan manner would be asking her to deny her own human heritage."

"Why can't you do both?" McCoy asked reasonably. "If she wants a human wedding, and you want to bond, surely you could combine the two ceremonies, or have separate ones."

Spock blinked, startled. "I confess I had not considered that," he confessed.

McCoy nodded. "You do that, then. In the meantime, try and get some rest." He glanced at the mouth of the cave. "Looks like it's getting too dark to continue on tonight, so we'll stay here for now."

Spock leaned back against the cave wall. "Doctor, in your own opinion, what do you think is the likelihood that our friends are unharmed?"

McCoy was surprised. "Don't you already know all the probabilities?" he asked curiously.

Spock looked surprisingly unhappy. "I can make calculations," he acknowledged, "but I find myself not wanting to believe what my calculations are suggesting."

McCoy nodded slowly. The chances that all of their friends were out there, unhurt and in no danger, were slim to none. But he had to believe that they were alive. God damn it, he had just married April, she had to be OK. And Jim and Carol hadn't gotten that chance yet. With Chekov, Sulu, Scotty, Uhura, and the other fifty crew members who had been on board also unaccounted for, there was really no chance that there were no injuries. "Don't play the odds," he advised. "You've seen all kinds of crazy and logic-defying stunts on the  _Enterprise_. If I know Jim at all, he's out there somewhere with half a plan already developed to get us all out of here. Our job is to recover as much as possible so that when he finds us, we can help him."

Strangely, Spock actually looked relieved to hear McCoy's assessment. "I find your reasoning is sound," he said simply, and then closed his eyes once more and went back to meditating.

McCoy watched him for a few minutes, before he let out a soft huff and settled himself back. It was an uncomfortable position, he was cold, hungry, and thirsty, but he needed rest and it was the best he would get right now so he better make the most of it.

**XXX**

Scotty had managed to make a valiant effort to start on the repairs to the  _Franklin_ , but he was exhausted and hungry. Reluctantly, Jayla agreed that maybe it would be best for her unexpected guests to eat and get some sleep before they tried to fix anything.

So it was with renewed vigor that Scotty got to work the next morning, feeling refreshed and ready to go after a good night's sleep and a decent meal. April and Carol were no help whatsoever, so they spent the next few hours poking around the ship, coming across everything from personal effects to old logs from the  _Franklin_  crew.

A loud wailing sound interrupted Scotty just as he felt he was starting to make some progress around midmorning, and Jayla quickly came running in, her expression angry and determined. April and Carol soon followed. "Somebody has set off one of my traps," the newcomer said as an explanation. She grabbed her staff and headed for the exit. "Come."

Scotty looked at the two women next to him. "Stay here," he instructed, and then grabbed an old phaser from a box of them that they had found on the ship the night before. These phasers used physical projectiles instead of pulse energy, so they didn't have to worry about the devices losing their charge over the course of however long it had been since the ship had crashed on this planet.

Scotty ran quickly to catch up with Jayla, and followed her for almost a mile, until they reached a rocky outcrop. Scotty stumbled to a halt in shock, seeing what was waiting for them.

**XXX**

Jim and Chekov set out early the next morning, both still tired and hungry, but unwilling to sit still any longer. They walked in near silence for miles, continuing to head towards that strange signal on Jim's makeshift scanner.

They were making their way through a dip between two rocky hills when a loud crack startled them out of their thoughts. "Watch out!" Jim shouted, ducking down just in time to avoid a net flying at him.

He managed to avoid the projectile, but Chekov wasn't so lucky. The younger man's arm was caught, and the rest of him had no choice but to follow along as it pinned him to the rock that made up one of the walls of the little ravine.

Jim moved quickly, studying the net to see how he could get it to release his friend. "You all right?"

Chekov nodded slowly, winded. "I think so. My arm hurts a little, but I don't think it's an injury, just being stuck in a bad position right now."

Jim nodded, relieved. "Let's get you out of that and get out of here before whoever set that trap comes looking."

Chekov looked like he agreed completely, and Jim set to work.

He had just managed to wiggle one corner of the net free – it was really stuck in the rock – when they heard a rustle from the woods around them. Jim quickly dropped down, picking up a rock that would do as a makeshift weapon. He wished he had a phaser on him, but it wasn't regulation to carry one around on the ship unless you were Security, so he hadn't had one on him when they had evacuated.

Jim gripped the rock tightly as a minute later, two figures ran into the ravine.

"Jim!" Scotty yelled, almost wilting in relief. He would never admit how worried he had been for his friend, even knowing how much the man liked to defy the odds.

Jim's grip on the rock lessened. He looked just as relieved. "Scotty," he breathed, smiling a greeting as the older man quickly grasped him in a tight hug.

The rock dropped back to the ground, and Jim turned to face the stranger that had come with his Chief Engineer.

Scotty immediately turned to the woman as well. "Jim, this is Jayla. She saved me from that woman who came to Yorktown. I ran into them yesterday sometime, her and a few others. What the hell is with that, I thought we were helping her? They attacked me, but Jayla saved me. The woman escaped, but Jayla killed the others. Jayla, this is Jim. He's my ship Captain. The other one is Pavel Chekov, he's part of our crew as well."

Jim smiled gratefully at Jayla. "Thank you for saving Scotty," he said. Jayla inclined her head in acknowledgement. Jim looked back at Chekov. "Any chance you can free him from that? We really don't mean you any harm."

Jayla smirked, and moved forward with her staff. A moment later, Chekov was free, and he rubbed his arm to relieve some of the aches as he stepped forward, away from the rocks.

"Thank you," the Russian said, though his voice sounded a little disgruntled.

Scotty meanwhile was looking at Jayla. "We're lucky we found Jim, he's probably the best one to help me with the repairs."

Jayla nodded. "Come on then."

They all turned to head back the way Jayla and Scotty had come, and Jim looked at Scotty, confused. "What is it you're trying to repair?"

Scotty just grinned at him. "You're not going to believe this, Captain."

**XXX**

Scotty refused to explain any more, and they headed back in near silence. Jim stopped short when the trees opened up, showing what looked like a very familiar ship design. "Is that… Starfleet?" he asked curiously. The exterior looked like an old-fashioned version of the current models. It was also clearly what had been emitting the frequency he and Chekov had been tracking, but he hadn't expected it to be an actual Starfleet ship.

Jayla didn't bother to answer and just headed inside. Scotty grinned at his Captain and followed her.

Jim and Chekov were left to bring up the rear.

"Scotty, what was all that about?" A feminine voice that Jim knew as well as his own echoed down the short hallway as he made his way inside.

Jim practically ran the last few steps, and the hallway opened up to a circular room he definitely recognized as the Bridge of the ship.

April and Carol were waiting inside.

Carol saw Jim just as he entered, and her face broke into a wide smile as she hurried forward a few steps, the two of them meeting in the middle of the room.

"Carol," Jim breathed, hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gripped him back just as forcefully. She buried her face in his shoulder, her own shaking slightly as she tried not to cry in relief.

"Thank god," her own voice was just as soft and reverent as her fiancé's. "I was so worried."

Jim pulled back and gave her a searing kiss that lasted several long moments.

When they finally pulled apart, Jim grinned. "Don't tell me you doubted that I would keep my promise?"

Carol frowned, and then her expression cleared as she remembered a conversation they had had years ago, just after they had started dating. He had been injured, and though he told her he couldn't promise he would never get hurt, he had promised her to always do his best to survive.

The Lieutenant finally returned his smile. "Never," she assured him.

Jim gave her another quick kiss before he stepped back and looked at the other familiar face that had been patiently waiting for them to finish.

April's own hug was every bit as tight as Carol's, though they separated without the kiss of course.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he said quietly. April beamed and then gave Chekov a hug as well.

Scotty quickly captured Jim's attention, telling him what they were trying to do and the progress he had made.

As the two Engineers got to work trying to make more progress, April and Carol filled the others in on what had happened to them after they had landed. When they finished, Chekov filled the silence, telling them about his and Jim's own adventures, complete with Lenore's betrayal.

That done, Chekov then asked if they knew anything about any of the others.

April shook her head, biting her lip in worry. "We didn't see anyone, but that really isn't saying much," she admitted. "It seems like a pretty big planet, and the other pods could have landed anywhere."

Jim nodded from his position under one of the consoles where he was stripping wires. "I rewired my broken communicator to turn it into a scanner, and I did manage to pick up a couple faint Starfleet signals. It would have picked up anything emitting a Starfleet frequency. That's why we were headed in this direction," he looked over at Jayla. "It was the strongest signal; I recognized the code as Starfleet, but it was incredibly outdated."

Scotty realized that Jim hadn't even looked around him before getting to work, so he probably hadn't noticed the name of the ship. "Jim, this is the  _USS Franklin_."

Jim stopped his work, surprised. "How is that possible?" he asked.

"Our working theory is the ship stumbled through a wormhole," April filled in. "It wouldn't have been able to make it out here on its own with the capabilities the space-ready ships had back then."

Jim nodded slowly. "A wormhole could have bent space and time around the ship," he agreed. "Completely plausible." He got back to work and continued his explanation of the scanner he had built. "If we can get the scanners on this ship running, and tune them to Starfleet frequencies, we should be able to find more of our people."

"But we won't know who they are," April sighed. "And they'd have to be carrying a device with a Starfleet frequency."

Jim looked at her compassionately. "Yes, but it's not just communicators, April. The scanners would pick up tricorders as well, and when was the last time Bones went anywhere without one of those?"

April smiled and nodded, feeling slightly more optimistic. "You're right. So get to work and fix the ship!"

Jim chuckled, and did just that.

Well, he went back to helping Scotty fix some damage that could only come with time and harsh weather conditions. Chekov was the one who got to work at a computer console, rewriting the code so that they could scan for their people.

April, Carol, and Jayla took seats around the room, acknowledging that they couldn't do anything to help the trio. Jayla seemed impatient, but April was too busy trying to get a read on Carol to really pay much attention to anyone else.

Carol hadn't stopped feeling nauseous since they had landed on this planet, but at least she hadn't thrown up since yesterday afternoon. She had even felt slightly better this morning after eating a good meal and getting as decent a night of sleep as she could without knowing where Jim was or if he was still alive. She had thought maybe she was done for the time being, but a sudden swell had her making a beeline for the nearest trash can. She didn't even have time to ask where the closest bathroom was.

April moved with her, rubbing her back gently as the young woman heaved.

Scotty stopped his work at the sudden break in silence and pulled himself up to a sitting position. "Are you all right, lass?" he asked, concerned.

Jim also looked up and winced sympathetically, but Carol glared at him. "You keep your ass right there, Jim. Just fix the ship." Jim nodded quickly and stayed put, continuing to work.

Carol tried to muster up a smile as she answered the Scotsman. "I'm fine," she assured the room.

Scotty didn't look convinced. Neither did Chekov. "Is it an injury, or did you pick up a bug or something?" the Engineer wanted more information.

Carol groaned and stood up. "More like a parasite," she muttered as she headed back to the seat she had just vacated so quickly. "And I'll be stuck with it for the rest of my life."

From his position under the console, Jim called out, "Only the next eighteen or so years. Could even be less if it's as brilliant as its parents."

Carol glared at him, but he didn't see it from his position.

Scotty looked between the two before his expression cleared to amazement. "Are you pregnant?"

Chekov gasped, and Jim finally pulled himself out from under the console. He sat up and grinned.

Scotty beamed and reached over to clap him on the shoulder. "Congratulations!"

Chekov bounded over and practically tackled Jim in a hug. The two fell over in a tangle of limbs, and Chekov pulled back, embarrassed. He stood back up and gave Carol a hug as well. "I'm so happy for you!"

Carol smiled widely. "Thank you," she said to both men.

April beamed from her spot next to Carol and waited until Jim had straightened himself out after Chekov's enthusiastic response, before she kneeled down and gave him a hug as well. "You guys are going to kick serious ass at the whole parenting thing," she whispered in his ear. After her conversation with Carol, she knew that was something he worried about. "This kid's going to be so lucky."

When they pulled apart, Jim smiled gratefully. He didn't reply, but his nod of thanks spoke volumes all the same.

Jayla sat back and watched as the group celebrated. She wanted them to keep working, but she could understand that these people were all close friends, and allowed them their time to rejoice over the happy news. She had been alone ever since her family had sacrificed themselves to let her live, and she could hardly remember what it was like to be happy anymore.

She hadn't even remembered what it was like to hope, until she stumbled across this Scotty, who said he could help her fix her house and get off this planet. Meeting the others had been just as unexpected, but suddenly she found herself surrounded by people who seemed to want to help. Last night she had spent time with April and Carol, and they seemed genuinely interested in who she was as a person; despite her attempts to keep herself at a distance, Jayla found her walls eroding little by little.

When April and Carol joined Jayla again, watching as the men all got back to work, she couldn't help but offer up a small smile and a nod to the pregnant woman. Nothing more, but she could see that Carol understood by the way the woman's face lit up at the gesture.

A few minutes later, Chekov let out a triumphant shout. "Jim, I think I got it! Can you take a look at this, and then we'll see if it works?"

Jim immediately pulled himself out from the console he had been working under and joined the younger man at his computer. They focused on the screen for a few minutes, Jim checking over Chekov's work. Finally he nodded with a grin. "That should do it." He typed in a few commands, and they all gathered around the screen, waiting.

Slowly, dots began to appear on the screen. There were a few overlapping dots coming from a position many miles away, but closer, there was what appeared to be a very faint signal on its own.

Jim looked at Scotty. "Does this ship still have beaming capability?" he asked curiously.

Scotty nodded, frowning in thought. "Yeah, I checked out the Engineering deck last night. It's old, but it still should work."

Jim sighed in relief. "Let's get whoever this is on the ship then."

He and Scotty quickly headed down to Engineering, the rest of them following behind eagerly.

At the console, Scotty quickly fired up the machines, typing in commands. After a minute, he frowned in confusion. "Jim, there was only one signal on the screen up there, but I'm picking up two life signs from that location."

Jim bit his lip. Two people then, with only one Starfleet device between them. "Can you beam them both out?"

Scotty pursed his lips. "Not together," he admitted. "I mean, I probably could, but it's an old machine, not sure I'd want to risk it unless we have to."

Jim nodded. "One at a time then."

Scotty immediately got to work, and they all focused on the transporter pad as lights began to swirl.

**XXX**

McCoy and Spock set off once they had both woken up, though by the light around them McCoy thought they had probably missed dawn by a good few hours. They had both been tired after yesterday's hike.

Spock looked better after the rest, though he still seemed to be moving slowly. It gave McCoy hope that any internal bleeding was minimal and healing on its own.

They were winding their way down from the cave they had hunkered down in, when the telltale sound of an engine drew their gaze upwards.

Off in the distance but moving rapidly closer were several small ships, just like the ones that had attacked the  _Enterprise_  and like the one they had taken to this planet's surface. "Shit," McCoy muttered, looking around for somewhere to hide. There's no way they would make it back to their cave.

Spock frowned minutely. "You should continue on," he said reasonably. "In my condition I will merely slow you down."

McCoy glared at him. "I didn't know you were so sentimental."

Spock offered up a half shrug. "It is simply logical. One of us should survive."

McCoy's glare intensified. "You're a damn fool," he growled. "Jim would never forgive me if I left you behind, never mind Uhura's reaction. Plus, weren't you the one who was telling me about my human character yesterday? What have I done over all the years you've known me that makes you think I'd actually leave you behind to save my own skin?"

Spock didn't get a chance to respond, as three ships surrounded them. They stood back to back, watching the enemy vessels for some sign of what was to come.

"Well at least I won't die alone," the doctor grumbled, trying unsuccessfully to hide his fear or the knowledge that he'd be leaving Joanna, and would never know what happened to April or if she made it out of this cluster fuck.

A familiar whirlwind of lights cropped up, and he turned around just in time to see Spock disappear. "Brilliant," he muttered. "Just perfect."

He turned back to the ships around him and set his jaw in determination. Before he could think any more though, another set of lights formed around him, and he could feel his molecules begin to scramble.


	13. Chapter 13

When McCoy re-formed wherever the transporter brought him, he could tell it had taken longer than it should have. "Fuck," he muttered, stumbling a little as he fought the urge to throw up.

Before he could think anymore, however, a feminine force had slammed into him, kissing him desperately.

He pulled back, stunned. "April?" his voice clearly showed his shock. As he looked around, he could see Jim and Scotty standing at the computer console, both grinning happily. Carol and Chekov were there as well, and a strange woman hovered in the background. Spock was standing off to one side, leaning against the wall in what was probably an attempt to hide his injury. It might have worked if he wasn't a Vulcan and therefore not prone to casually leaning against walls.

April grasped him in a tight hug and dragged him off the transporter. As they reached Scotty, the Engineer apologized, "Sorry for the bumpy ride," he grimaced. "It's an old transporter. We thought it best to bring you in one at a time, just in case."

McCoy shook his head. "Considering the circumstances, I think I'll forgive you."

Scotty grinned, and Jim moved forward, giving the doctor a brief hug.

McCoy would never admit that his returning hug was just as needy as the younger man's.

Spock's knees buckled at that moment though, and McCoy was on him in a flash. "Is there a med kit around here somewhere?" he asked brusquely.

Scotty looked over at the stranger. "Jayla?"

The woman nodded and disappeared. The rest of them left the Engineering deck and headed back up to what McCoy recognized as a very old fashioned Bridge. He'd get answers later, right now he had to make sure Spock wasn't actually in danger of dying.

They set Spock down on a long bench, and McCoy quickly caught April up on what had happened so that she could help him. Jayla returned at that moment, thrusting a bag in the doctors' direction.

McCoy gratefully pulled out a few useful tools, though they were amazingly outdated.

But beggars couldn't be choosers, so he got to work quickly, April providing a much needed extra pair of hands.

The rest of the crew stood back respectfully, waiting and ready if there was anything either doctor needed them to do.

Well, most of them were waiting. Carol barely made it two minutes before she was once more rushing to the trash can in the corner and throwing up everything she had eaten for breakfast.

Jim followed her and kneeled behind his fiancée, rubbing her back even as he kept half an eye focused on his First Officer and CMO.

Finally, McCoy sat back with a satisfied sigh. "Well, these tools are definitely decades out of date, but I'm satisfied you won't bleed out."

Spock nodded gratefully, but made no move to stand up. He would take whatever time they could allow to gather his strength for what would come next.

McCoy immediately turned around and focused his attention on Carol, who had stopped throwing up but was still kneeling by the trash receptacle. "Your turn."

Carol frowned, confused. "I'm not injured."

McCoy raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Healthy people don't just throw up. Could be a head injury."

Carol glanced at Jim and then April helplessly.

April took pity on the woman, and reached over, resting a hand gently on her husband's shoulder. "She had a concussion but it's cleared up, Len. This isn't an injury, promise."

McCoy frowned, confused, and turned back to the Brit. His sharp eyes studied her from this distance, taking in the paleness and sheen of sweat, as well as the way one hand was pressing against her abdomen, almost protectively. A slow smile crept its way across his face. "How far along?" he asked curiously.

Carol blushed, but she smiled, and Jim rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "About six weeks I think. Maybe seven. I took a test a few days ago, and was going to see you once we finished at Yorktown."

McCoy's smile widened, and he quickly moved across the room to give them both hugs. "Congratulations you two, I'm so happy for you."

From his position on the bench, Spock also offered his congratulations.

Jim grinned his thanks, while Carol tried to smile but then immediately turned around and started throwing up again. Jim winced sympathetically, and McCoy frowned.

"I'd still like to give you a check over," he insisted. "It's been a stressful couple of days, no harm in making sure everything's really all right. Morning sickness kicks in right around now if your timeline is right, but you still shouldn't be throwing up that much."

Carol's shoulders wilted slightly but she nodded in acceptance, especially after Jim agreed as well.

McCoy waited until Carol stopped heaving, and then led her over to a free chair.

Jim kept one eye on his fiancée and best friend, but the rest of his attention was back on the rest of the group. "So, next issue we need to fix: get the rest of our crew back. Ideas?"

**XXX**

It had been a long day and night for Sulu, Uhura, and the other officers who had been captured by Krall and Kodos. By Uhura's estimation, it had been at least twenty hours before night had come, and approximately eight or nine more before it was light again. Both command crew Lieutenants had led the rest of the group in searching every inch of their cage, but there were no weak points. Once they had exhausted themselves looking for an escape route, there was nothing to do but wait and hope that somewhere out there, Jim and the others were working on getting them out.

It had relieved both Lieutenants to no end to see that Jim, Spock, Chekov, McCoy, and Scotty were missing. They were glad April and Carol hadn't been captured as well, but the unknowns continued to loom unpleasantly. Not captured didn't mean unharmed and it certainly didn't mean safe.

Kodos hadn't been nearly as pleased to find certain key individuals missing. He had come back a few hours after that first visit, observed all of them in their captivity, and then let out a loud shout and berated Krall for being unable to hold up his end of the bargain.

Uhura wasn't a betting woman, but she would place money on the madman's anger stemming from Jim's absence.

After that fitful night, all of them were even more on edge, not helped by Krall's return visit shortly after dawn.

Sulu was on his feet immediately, placing himself strategically in front of a pair of Ensigns he had been comforting moments earlier. No matter how many strange and terrifying things they had seen in their travels, being held captive was never fun, and those Ensigns weren't high enough on the ladder of their respective departments to even make it onto an away team yet. Needless to say, they were terrified.

The pilot glared. "You have committed an act of war against the Federation, and I promise you, the Federation will retaliate in kind."

Krall smirked. "I'm counting on it," he leered. "You brutes are so eager to jump at the beck and call of your master and their constant drive for peace and inclusion with other species." He sneered. "It makes me sick."

Uhura was next to Sulu now, and her gaze narrowed. "We don't have to answer to xenophobes like you."

Krall glowered at her. "I am simply righting a wrong. Starfleet should have never pushed the boundaries. Humans should never have mixed with aliens."

Uhura spared a small glance to a few officers who were clearly not human, and vowed to do whatever it took to protect them from this asshole. Turning back to Krall, her chin lifted in defiance. "This comes with all the weight of my position as Chief Communications Officer for the Starfleet flagship  _Enterprise_ : fuck off." Any amusement Krall had died in that moment, and Uhura's mouth twisted into a smirk. "I can say it again in sixty eight other languages, if you like."

Sulu snickered next to her, while also taking a step forward in case Krall decided to show his displeasure physically. A few other officers were similarly amused, but made a valiant effort not to laugh out loud, wary of catching their captor's attention.

Krall glared menacingly. "It doesn't matter if you Starfleet mouthpieces believe me, I am only doing what's best for humankind."

Krall glanced behind him, and Uhura and Sulu shifted back slightly as Kodos entered the cage. "We're only doing what's best," he reiterated.

"You don't care about humans," Uhura glowered. "You're a monster who would slaughter humans right alongside any other species."

There was movement behind the two men, and then a young woman entered. "How dare you!" Lenore shouted, she would have lunged at Uhura, but her father's cautioning hand stayed her movement.

Uhura and Sulu gaped, recognizing her easily.

Kodos seemed to enjoy their shock. "You played your part well, daughter," he congratulated her. "And as for you," he looked back at the officers in front of him, "I am simply reclaiming what belongs to me."

Sulu shifted his attention to Krall. "You claim to care about humans, but you don't care that this man killed thousands of them?"

"He saved thousands," Krall corrected. "The only ones to die were those not worthy of life."

Uhura remembered her studies well – of those on Kodos' kill list, the majority were either not Terran, or of African or Asian descent. The rest had come from the poorer farming families that lived outside the city walls. Almost ninety percent of those on his 'worthy' list had been of European descent. Of the ten percent left, if they weren't fair skinned then they were of the upper class, though there were a few that fell outside that mold but had a family member who served as a member of Kodos' security forces on the planet, and so had been spared.

"If Starfleet weren't such a bunch of bleeding hearts, they would have understood what Mr. Karidian here was trying to do," Krall's voice took on a superior tone. "Our aim now is to correct their oversight. Shaking hands with Klingons and inviting them into our home. Disgusting!" Krall scowled. "Rolling over and letting them walk all over us when we should be treating them like the rabid creatures they are. I will show Starfleet their mistake, and Mr. Karidian will ensure the man who is leading this gross miscarriage is punished accordingly."

Looking at Kodos, Uhura and Sulu couldn't fail to think that it was more a personal revenge than any grander plan that had Kodos wanting to get his hands on Jim. They were even more relieved now, that Jim hadn't been captured like they had.

Krall had a final leer as watched the expressions of his captives widen in horror. "You are all so eager to push the frontier, Starfleet scum. This is where the frontier pushes back."

He gestured to Kodos and his daughter, and the three of them left, locking the gate behind them.

"Yorktown," Sulu breathed. "That's their target. Shit!"

Uhura nodded, and sank to the ground. Sulu sat next to her. "The peace talks," she agreed. "That's what brought this on. But how is Kodos involved?"

"He escaped over a year ago," Sulu reasoned. "Maybe he stumbled across that psychopath and talked his way into helping? But where the hell does a daughter fit into this?"

Uhura shrugged. They may never know what had happened, but none of them had any doubts about the madman's thoughts on Krall's plan – he would have been eager to help kill thousands of innocents, surely. "She can't be more than twenty or so, maybe younger. Definitely not old enough to have been around for Tarsus, he probably had her sometime after he fled."

There wasn't much they could do about that revelation right now, so Sulu focused back on the more urgent problem. "So what do we do?" the pilot asked. How were they going to get out of this mess?

Uhura bit her lip, trying to remain calm. "Jim is still out there somewhere," she reminded him, as well as the other officers all crowded around trying desperately to listen in to their commanding officers' conversation. Strangely – or not – that reminder did help to settle them down. Jim was their Captain, and he had proved many times over the years that he would do whatever it took to protect his crew. Uhura sighed. "He's probably out there right now trying to get us out and get back to Yorktown."

The rest of the crew were definitely buying that, and Sulu wanted to as well, but he couldn't help himself. "How do you even know he's still alive?" the pilot asked quietly, his voice carrying no further than her own ears.

Uhura smiled slightly. "Jim Kirk doesn't know how to lose." Her smile dropped and she looked serious. "Hikaru, I have to believe that he's out there because the alternative means that we're all dead. Us, and everyone on Yorktown."

**XXX**

"Before we crashed, I saw ships snatching escape pods out of the air," McCoy told the group. Now that Spock was out of danger and he was confident that Carol was suffering from no more than stress and too little sleep, McCoy could focus his attention on the larger problem at hand. "Whoever is behind this probably has most of the crew, and probably all in one place, if we can find it."

"Probably those other signals we saw on the monitor," Chekov observed. He looked at the doctor. "There was a smaller, very faint one coming from your location, and a few more much further away." He turned to Jim. "Can we beam them out like we did Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock?"

Jim bit his lip and shook his head. "There's some sort of energy field disrupting the transmitter," he informed them. "I tried to get a lock after we got Bones and Spock on board. We can't beam them out where they are."

"How do we even know it's really them?" April asked reasonably. "You said that this ship also emitted a signal, how do we know what the computer picked up is actually the crew and not something else?"

"We have to check it out," Jim argued. "We can't risk not to."

"Perhaps I can provide an alternative solution?" Spock asked, sitting up slowly. McCoy glared at him, but didn't comment. Spock let out a deep breath once he was vertical, and was pleased that beyond a few painful twinges, he no longer felt like he was being repeatedly stabbed. "Doctor Vanderbilt is correct, we cannot be certain that this location will hold the crew. To act on uncertainties wastes valuable time and resources."

"You're not saying anything we don't already know, Spock, get to the point," McCoy scowled.

April glared at her husband. "Be nice," she admonished, and then turned back to the Vulcan. "Len's tone and words leave something to be desired, but the sentiment is noted. Where are you going with this, Spock?"

Spock slowly stood and made his way to Chekov. He entered an equation into the computer and then looked at the navigator. "Lieutenant Chekov, can you scan for this compound? It is a mineral native to Vulcan-that-was, and emits a low level radiation that should make it easily visible."

Chekov frowned but turned back to the computer. "I'll look, but why would a Vulcan mineral be on this planet?"

Spock pursed his lips. "I gifted Nyota with a necklace at her last birthday. The pendant was formed from this mineral."

McCoy raised an eyebrow. "You gave your girlfriend radioactive jewelry?"

Spock observed him carefully. "The levels of radiation are harmless, Doctor. However, the unique composition should make it easy to trace."

McCoy's expression just got more skeptical. "You gave your girlfriend a tracking device."

Spock seemed to be startled by the implication. On the other side of the room, Jim was struggling to hold in his laughter. "That was not my intention," Spock finally replied.

Jim lost it at that last remark. He laughed long and hard, while Chekov, April, Carol, and Scotty all seemed to be struggling not to do the same. Scotty let out a few chortles, while Chekov just focused on the computer to hide his grin.

Carol turned back to her trash can as another wave of nausea hit. McCoy was immediately there asking Jayla if she had some water or crackers, which might help ease the nausea. The newcomer left the Bridge, heading for the kitchen area.

A few minutes later, Chekov let out a triumphant shout. "I found it!" he said excitedly. "The Vulcan signal is coming from the same location as the Starfleet signals. It's them!"

Well, it was Uhura at least, but if McCoy was right and the enemy had captured most of their crew, then it would be logical to assume that others would be with her.

"We need to find a way in to wherever it is they're being held," Jim said determinedly.

"It is not possible." Jayla had returned. She looked grim as she handed a bottle of water to Carol and turned back to Jim. "People who go in there, they don't come out."

McCoy frowned. "How do you know that?"

Jayla seemed to be fighting back tears as she looked at the doctor, her gaze overly bright. "It happened to my family. My father sacrificed himself so that I could escape. You cannot go there!"

She turned and fled the room. Scotty watched her leave, biting his lip in concern. "We need her help, Jim," he said softly. "Even if she doesn't want to, she knows more than we do. If there's a way in, she probably knows it."

Jim nodded in agreement. He gave Carol's shoulder a gentle squeeze, and then followed Jayla's path.

He found her in the cargo hold, sorting through boxes of junk with an air that told the Captain quite clearly she wasn't actually thinking about what she was doing. He glanced around with interest – this had to be personal effects from the crew of the  _Franklin_  – and his gaze caught on a vintage motorcycle in a corner of the room. His eyes widened in surprise. He recognized it as a Hilts PX70, because they used to have one cluttering up a corner of their garage when he was a kid in Riverside. It had belonged to George Kirk once upon a time. Frank had sold it off when Jim was eight, claiming that it was no use to anyone there, and he needed the money. Jim had hated him for that, for so casually getting rid of one of the few things Jim had of his father's, just so he could buy more beer. That memory had been one of the reasons why he had driven his dad's car off that cliff – he had refused to allow Frank to sell another one of George Kirk's possessions to fuel his alcoholism.

He put the nostalgia – and anger – aside for the moment, and sat next to Jayla. He took a few silent minutes to observe her actions. She was focused completely on a weapon in her hands – another outdated projectile weapon – and she was cleaning it rigorously. It was a move Jim knew all too well: focus intently on one task so that the rest of the world couldn't get in and force you to feel things you weren't ready for.

"Can you tell me about your dad?" he finally asked, voice quiet and understanding.

Jayla's hands faltered, but she didn't look up. Eventually, she replied, "He was protector to all of us. When our ship crashed here, he tried to keep us all safe. Krall's men found us, and brought us to their cage." She grit her teeth at the memory of that day, and the looming building in front of them, the terror of knowing only certain death awaited. "He sacrificed himself for me, so that I could escape. And I just left him. I ran like a coward." She grimaced.

Jim shifted slightly in his seat. "You may be a lot of things, Jayla, but I highly doubt coward is one of them. I might not know you that well, but you've managed to survive on this hostile planet for however long it's been –"

"Six months," Jayla interrupted.

Jim smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. His gaze focused on the far wall as his mind drifted to memories he had for so long tried to hide. "You know, I have this dream sometimes, where I grow up with loving parents, a mother and father who only wanted the best for me, who celebrated eagerly when I graduated from high school at the age of seven, and who were cheering in the audience for every degree I earned. They would have thrown the biggest party in the galaxy when I got my master's degree at twenty-one. Parents who stood in the audience and screamed themselves hoarse when I was awarded captaincy and command of my first vessel at twenty-five, youngest Captain in Starfleet's history. Adults I could go to for relationship or life advice."

Jim sighed and absentmindedly picked at the box sitting next to him. His gaze shifted to focus on Jayla now, who was watching him, confused. She didn't understand all of the specifics, but could understand that these must be grand achievements in the man's culture.

In the entrance to the hold, Carol, April, and McCoy had all gathered as well. They had left Scotty and Chekov to work on getting the ship flight-capable, and Spock was resting in the hopes of participating in whatever insane plan Jim would no doubt come up with to save the rest of the crew.

The Captain bit his lip, voice pained as his eyes glazed over in remembrance. "But I don't have that. All I have is this audio transmission I memorized when I was four." His eyes glazed over as he recalled the final words of Lieutenant Commander – Acting Captain – George Kirk. "'It's a boy.' 'Tell me about him.' 'George, you should be here.' 'Let's call him Jim. I love you, so much!'"

Carol felt a few tears escape as she listened to her fiancé's words. No child should have to have that as their final memory of a parent. McCoy looked grim, and April also looked like she was trying not to cry.

Jim sighed and focused back on Jayla, who was watching him with her eyes wide. "I like to imagine that his final 'I love you' was for me, but I'm really not sure. I grew up with people telling me my father would be proud, disappointed, 'insert descriptor here'… I've heard about how much I look like him, act like him, don't act like him…" He shook his head, annoyed. "I've had to live with those pressures and expectations since I was born, and for all that people have told me how much I'm like or not like my father, I never knew the man. No one ever really told me about the person who was George Kirk, it's always been about the Acting Captain who was in command of his vessel for twelve minutes and saved eight hundred people."

Jayla swallowed and offered, "He sounds like a hero."

Jim smiled sadly. "He was, but the point is that I never got to learn about him as a regular father whose goal in life was to embarrass his kids. The stuff so many people take for granted until it's suddenly no longer there. I never got to have that. The one thing I do have, that I hold on to as some kind of sick proof that my dad loved me, is something one of his closest friends told me years ago, when I was at the Academy. Admiral Barnett took me out for drinks on my birthday my first year, and told me about how much he hated that people remembered the sacrifice my dad made on that day, and forgot that it wasn't just a day of memorial, it was also my birthday." Jim's smile deepened, though his eyes were pained as he went on, "Barnett told me that my dad may have saved eight hundred lives that day, but the only two he cared about were mine and my mom's."

Jim grimaced. "I felt guilty for so long after that," he admitted. "Here I was holding onto this idea that he loved me enough to die for me, when if I hadn't been there at all, he probably would have gotten on a shuttle and escaped with the rest of the crew." He looked at Jayla, eyes sharp and determined. "I know what it's like to feel guilty because you're alive. My father's sacrifice, my own experiences, I know that guilt. I've felt it for years."

"How do you make it go away?" Jayla asked softly, trying not to look too eager.

Jim let out a long breath. "I don't know that it ever really does," he confessed. "But I remember the lives I've saved, all because my father made a choice to distract the Romulans from targeting the  _Kelvin_ 's escape pods that day. By remembering that he was the ship's Acting Captain, and even if I hadn't been there he probably would have still stayed behind to save everyone else." He shrugged. "I never had great parental role models growing up, but I found a couple pretty good ones when I got older, and I think I get it now." He glanced up and saw the group clustered in the doorway. His eyes sought out Carol, and he smiled softly. "I've only known I'm going to be a dad for a couple days, but I don't just think anymore – I know now why my dad made the choices he did. Because if it was my kid's life on the line? I would move mountains."

He turned back to Jayla and saw that she understood. "Jayla, your father would have done anything to see you safe. I know how much it hurts to lose loved ones, and I know you don't want to go back to that place, but right now my family is in danger. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them, no obstacle I wouldn't cross or bridge I wouldn't burn, and this man has them captive. I need to get them back, and to do that, I need your help. I promise you we won't leave you behind. You are a part of this family now, and if you're willing to help, I think we can honor your father's sacrifice and get justice for him and everyone else who has died because of this psycho's actions."

Jayla didn't look completely convinced, but she nodded readily. "I know a way in," she admitted. "I can get you there. But we won't stay hidden for long."

Jim nodded in thought. "So we'll just need a distraction then." His gaze swept around the room and once more landed on the vintage motorcycle in the corner. His eyes lit up as his mind began working out the possibilities.

"I've got an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to throw in the conversation about the necklace – McCoy is my favorite part of any reboot Star Trek movie, and I loved that scene.


	14. Chapter 14

Things moved quickly after that. Jim moved the vintage motorcycle outside in preparation, while Jayla walked McCoy and Spock through their entrance and where their crew members were likely to be held.

Scotty and Chekov would stay on the  _Franklin_  to boost the transporter as much as possible, allowing for multiple beam outs. They would also try to finish getting the ship ready to fly so that they could leave the planet as soon as possible after the rest of the crew returned.

April and Carol would remain behind as well; Jim wanted Spock to stay too, but they needed one more person to go in with McCoy and Jayla, and neither April nor Carol were combat trained. It made sense from a logical standpoint as well: Carol was pregnant, and they needed a doctor to be ready to deal with any potential injuries amongst their captive crew. McCoy hadn't had much in the way of combat training – besides a basic hand to hand combat course his first year at the Academy that he had actually managed to do quite well in due to Jim's assistance – but he had been working to boost his skills over the last few years; his reasoning was that Jim wasn't going to stop diving head first into dangerous situations, so it was the doctor's job to make sure he could keep up with the man when the shit hit the fan.

Neither woman was happy to stay, but agreed readily, and simply kept their goodbyes short before they headed inside to do whatever they could to help Scotty and Chekov.

Jim looked at McCoy and Spock. "This will work," he said reassuringly.

McCoy didn't say anything, and Spock looked too busy trying to conserve energy to respond. Jayla seemed uncertain. "Try not to break this," she said, handing Jim her staff.

Jim smiled and slung it over his shoulder. "Everything'll be fine. When I'm in position I'll send you the signal."

Without wasting any more time, Jim hopped on the bike and took off.

They were about thirty miles from Krall's location, and it took Jim almost an hour to get there, due to the dense foliage and rocky ground.

Moving into position outside the compound, Jim pulled out his transponder and clicked it. A few seconds later, Jayla, McCoy, and Spock appeared in a whirlwind of light.

Jim looked at them and nodded, just once, before he revved the bike and headed into the compound. Reaching back, he clicked a button on the staff on his back, and suddenly there were multiple copies of him, just like when Jayla had appeared to save Scotty.

All of the copies split up once they were inside, and Jim smiled slightly at seeing the enemy take the bait. He peeled around a corner and kept going.

**XXX**

Once Jim had left, Jayla immediately led the other two to the tunnel she had escaped from all those months ago. Once inside the compound, the trio separated. Jayla moved quickly, looking for a nearby vantage point. Lying down, she pulled out her weapon, and took aim. Methodically, she began searching for enemy shooters so that she could eliminate them.

McCoy and Spock headed in the opposite direction, following Jayla's instructions for where prisoners were likely to be held.

There were two guards standing outside what looked like a large enclosed courtyard. There was a fence all around, and a lock on the gate. It seemed that Jayla's hunch had been correct. The two Starfleet officers immediately took aim and fired, taking down the guards simultaneously before they even realized they were no longer alone. Even with their current situation, McCoy spared a moment to feel incredibly proud that he had taken his guard out with one well-placed shot. Jim had been working with him on the practice range for months, and it was definitely paying off.

One more blast to the lock on the gate by Spock, and the two men quickly headed inside.

Uhura and Sulu were ready for them as soon as they entered, but immediately dropped out of their defensive stances when they saw who it was.

"Spock!" Uhura exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her boyfriend.

Spock returned the gesture slightly less enthusiastically, as he tried to contain his wince of pain at her eagerness.

Pulling back, Uhura seemed to notice his predicament, and immediately started looking for the cause. Not seeing anything, she looked at McCoy expectantly.

The doctor smiled slightly. "He'll be fine," he assured her. "But we need to get out of here. There's a blackout area around this structure where we can't beam out so we have to get out in the open before they can lock on our signals. Let's get moving."

They started ushering the officers out of the cage, and Sulu grabbed Spock's arm as the Vulcan made to turn. "Spock, we know Krall's plan." Spock immediately turned, and raised an eyebrow expectantly. Sulu grimaced. "Yorktown. He's going after Yorktown."

McCoy frowned, confused. "Why?" he asked. "I mean, I know it's a hot target, but what's his endgame?"

Uhura shook her head. "The peace talks," she explained. "He's a xenophobic asshole who thinks humans shouldn't mix with any other species. He sees the talks as the epitome of all that's wrong with the universe."

They started moving, leading the other officers towards what the rescue team had agreed on would be the beam out point.

"Who is this guy?" McCoy asked curiously and slightly disgustedly. The universe was full of idiots and assholes, he really shouldn't be that surprised, but he still found himself marveling at the absurdity that even as advanced a race as they were, there were still people who thought they should be held as better than others based on some arbitrary measure of superiority. The doctor glanced over at Spock. "I wonder how or if the  _Franklin_  plays into all of this."

Uhura and Sulu looked very confused, so McCoy briefly explained their situation and how they had found the crashed ship.

Spock just shrugged his uncertainty. The ship could have been lying on that cliff long before Krall decided to make this planet his base. They might never know what had happened.

"I don't know about any connection," Uhura said, "but Leonard, Kodos was here as well."

McCoy stopped short, and Spock also looked startled, though he hid it quickly in a neutral Vulcan mask. Uhura nodded grimly, and Sulu looked upset. "He wanted Jim," the pilot explained softly. "He was really angry when he wasn't with the rest of us."

It was concerning, but they didn't have time to worry about it now. They gathered the crew around them, hiding just out of sight. McCoy explained what was going to happen, "We can only beam about twenty out at a time," he said apologetically. "We'll go in three groups. First group, get ready. The beam out point is exposed, just beyond that wall."

He gestured for those in front to move, and as soon as they were in position, he clicked his transponder, sending the signal to Scotty.

A few seconds later, the group disappeared, and McCoy gestured for the second group to get ready. He motioned for Spock to join them, which the Vulcan did, though not entirely willingly. Uhura went as well, which made him slightly less upset. Spock activated his transponder this time, and the group disappeared a moment later.

McCoy gathered the last group around him, and they got into position.

**XXX**

Jim was running out of copies. He had already lost five to the enemy's weapons, and only had two left. The chance of them picking him off instead of one of the decoys was getting bigger and bigger.

He paused for a moment, hidden behind a large rock outcropping, and took a breath to observe the situation.

He saw a large swirl of lights off to one side of the compound, and noted that there was only one more group of officers to beam out now.

On the other side of the compound, he saw a fleet of small ships lift off. He couldn't do anything but watch as they disappeared above the clouds. "Shit," he muttered, and then turned his attention to a disturbance on one of the compound's towers.

It looked like Jayla, fighting in close quarters with… someone.

In another whirlwind of lights, the final group of Starfleet officers disappeared, and then Scotty was contacting him. "Jim, we've got everyone but you and Jayla. Turn on your beacon and get out of there!"

Jim nodded, though he knew the Engineer couldn't see him, and looked back at Jayla. She didn't seem to be capable of beaming out at that moment, or aware that it was time to leave.

He revved his engine, and she turned to look at him. "Come on!" he yelled.

Jayla nodded shakily, and stood up. Before she could go far, however, she was grabbed from behind and thrown back to the floor.

Jim immediately started moving, circling the bike around and trying to build speed.

"Jayla!" he called out, getting her attention. Seeing he had it, and hoping she could tell what he was about to do, Jim rode the bike off a rock and straight up into the air.

Timing the move to get the most height, he activated his beacon as he jumped off the bike.

Jayla threw herself off the tower and towards him, reaching desperately for his hand.

They just managed to grab onto each other when Jim felt the transporter signal lock on, and together, the pair disappeared.

They crashed onto the transporter pad on the  _Franklin_ a few seconds later, in a tangle of limbs.

Jayla groaned as she forced herself to her knees, and Jim shakily sat up. "Let's never do that again," he mumbled, shaking out his arms and searching for any sign of more injury. His ribs throbbed painfully, reminding him of the hard landing he had taken in his escape pod a couple days ago.

Carol was there as he tried to stand up, helping him get to his feet and practically dragging him off of the pad.

When he looked around, he saw that most of the officers seemed to have dispersed, but the command crew were still there, plus Carol and Jayla. A questioning look at his fiancée, and Carol smiled slightly. "April went to check on any injuries with the crew," she informed him.

Jim nodded, and pulled away, looking at Scotty. "How's the ship?" he asked hopefully.

Scotty grimaced and looked at Chekov. The navigator nodded. "Almost there," he promised. "We could use some help finishing up though?"

Jim agreed, and headed to the Bridge with most of the crowd, while Scotty remained in Engineering to make the final repairs there.

On the way, Uhura filled Jim in on Krall's plan, while Spock informed him of Kodos' presence when it looked like the Communications officer was debating on whether or not to tell him. Uhura shot him a mild glare, but the Vulcan didn't react.

Jim barely slowed in his stride, acknowledging the information with a tight nod but more focused on the current problem. First things first, they had to get to Yorktown, which meant they had to get this ship in the air.

Once on the Bridge, everyone dispersed to their respective consoles. "Uhura, are communications active?" Jim asked from his position next to Chekov.

Uhura ran a quick systems check and then replied negatively. "Working on it, give me a few minutes."

Jim nodded and left her to it. "Sulu, how're we looking up there?"

The pilot grimaced as he did his own checks. "If Scotty can get things up and running in Engineering, we should be good to go," he said, but he didn't sound completely certain.

Before Jim could call him out on it though, the Engineer chimed in. "Everything's ready down here, Captain. Let's fire her up and see what we've got."

"Strap in," Jim ordered, doing just that and watching as everyone else on the Bridge followed suit.

Sulu took a deep breath as he buckled his own seatbelt and started punching in commands. "Everyone hold on," he added to Jim's order. "This is going to be a bumpy ride. These things weren't designed to take off from atmosphere."

"Just do whatever you need to do," Jim said. "I trust you."

There was no higher compliment for Sulu, and he focused all of his attention on the task at hand. Together, he and Chekov entered their commands and slowly, systems began to fire up. Around them, they could hear the rock crumbling as the ship, which must have been lying there for years, began to separate from the mountain surrounding it.

The ship moved forward towards the precipice, and Chekov gulped. "Are you sure this drop is big enough?" he asked quietly, not wanting to catch anyone else's attention.

Sulu glanced over and offered up a small smile. "We're about to find out," he replied in what was probably a very Jim-like answer. "It's the only chance we've got," he added when Chekov just looked more nervous. "We need to build up velocity."

Chekov swallowed again, and then focused his attention on the window in front of him, and he nodded grimly. "Let's do this."

Sulu grinned, and pushed the controls forward.

The ship tipped, and then fell straight down.

Behind them, Jim held on to his armrests and watched the duo intently. "Any time now," he said as the ground just seemed to get closer and closer.

"Hold on," Sulu cautioned. The numbers on the speedometer slowly crept up. "Almost…" he muttered.

Chekov looked over at his partner as well. "Too close!" he yelled. "We need to pull up!"

Sulu shook his head. "Not yet!" They fell for a few more seconds, and everyone on the Bridge seemed to stop what they were doing to hold on to anything they could that might help them brace themselves. Until finally… "Now!" Sulu shouted, pressing the commands.

The ship rocked and then jolted to a sudden halt as the trajectory changed. The impulse engines fired up, and then they were shooting towards the sky.

Sulu would never admit to letting out a triumphant shout as his plan worked, but there were enough people on the Bridge that it would be useless to try and deny it anyway.

Once they leveled out, people unbuckled themselves and got back to work. Jayla, who had no task assigned to her, moved almost trancelike to the window, stopping when she was right behind Sulu and Chekov. Silently, she watched the stars get closer as they left the planet behind.

 _She was free_.

Jim joined her, but didn't speak. Finally, Jayla looked at him and smiled. "I never thought I would make it off," she admitted gratefully. "Thank you."

Jim nodded and grasped her arm lightly, reassuringly. "I told you, you're a part of this family now. And that means no one gets left behind."

Jayla's smile widened, and Jim went back to his seat. "Uhura, any luck?"

The Communications officer bit her lip and typed in a few more commands. Finally, her console flickered to life and she grinned. "Got it."

Jim sighed, relieved. "Contact Yorktown. Tell Archer what's going on and get them to engage the station's defenses."

Uhura nodded and turned back to her station. Admiral Archer was with Commodore Paris in the control room when she reached them, and both were relieved to hear from the missing crew of the flagship. It had been several days, and they had been concerned when they lost contact with the  _Enterprise_  shortly after the ship had departed.

Both were also alarmed to hear of Kodos' involvement, and though Archer clearly wanted to ask after Jim, he restrained himself and simply queried about their plan.

Uhura glanced back at Jim, and then returned her attention to the screen in front of her. "We're working on it," she said simply. "We'll be in contact soon."

She signed off and started monitoring frequencies, looking for any sign of the swarm of ships Jim said he had seen leaving the compound as the rest of them had escaped.

Jim remained focused as they got closer to Yorktown. He didn't have time to think about Kodos and what his plans were. First things first, get to Yorktown. Krall and Kodos seemed to be working together, but Jim knew Kodos didn't play well with others. The man was a sociopath, and had to have his own agenda.

They were almost to Yorktown when Scotty came to the Bridge, telling Jim he had found something. Jim immediately stood up and joined the Engineer off to one side; Spock came as well, and Scotty immediately launched into an explanation. "I've been dissecting that signal we heard when Krall and his crew attacked the  _Enterprise_ ," he explained. "I thought it was jamming us so we couldn't call for help, but it wasn't actually a jammer," he said excitedly.

Uhura glanced over, hearing what they were talking about, and nodded quickly. "He's right, Jim," she joined in. "I've been working on that too, and I'm monitoring for that frequency so we can hopefully find them before they spot us. But the signal wasn't designed to jam us up, I think they were using it to talk to each other."

Scotty looked a little disappointed that Uhura had taken away his big reveal, but pressed on regardless. "The captive crew said Krall didn't have more than a few dozen henchmen, but we easily saw hundreds of ships. I don't think they were all manned, I think they must be linked to a common signal. They get orders from one person, Krall, and then it's just technology. Incredibly advanced, but machinery nonetheless."

"Which means we can disrupt it," Jim commented thoughtfully. "If they're all linked and getting orders, that means there's a frequency we can hijack. If we can separate Krall from these… bees… then it's just him and a few dozen others. We can work with that."

"Bees?" Spock asked, confused.

Jim shrugged. "Like a hive mind. It made sense in my head."

"How do we get the frequency?" Uhura wondered, interrupting them to get them back to the issue at hand.

Spock pursed his lips in thought. "The most logical solution would be to board one of these vessels and download the frequency from the onboard computer," he commented.

Jim glanced at him, concerned. "It could be suicide," he replied. "Not all of the ships are manned, sure, but we have no way of knowing which ones are occupied."

Spock offered up the equivalent of a Vulcan shrug, a small ripple of his shirt where one shoulder lifted minutely. "It may be the only option," he reasoned. "I can beam aboard the vessel and determine the correct frequency."

Uhura immediately jumped in, "Spock, you're injured. You're still hurting, surely there's another way?"

Jim nodded in agreement. "She's right, Spock, you're hurt."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps it would ease your concerns if I had an accomplice who is both versed in my injury and has also boarded one of these vessels previously?"

Jim stared at him for a long moment, before he sighed and shook his head, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "He's going to love this," the Captain muttered, amused, before sending a request to McCoy, who had joined April in the Medbay, to meet them in the transporter room.

**XXX**

McCoy was not loving this. Where the hell did that hobgoblin get off volunteering him for this mission? "What the hell is wrong with you people?" he growled. "I did not agree to this!"

"It makes sense," Jim reasoned, still smiling. "You know the ship, you've flown it before."

"Yeah, and in case you don't remember, I crashed," McCoy retorted.

Jim sighed and shook his head. "We need to get someone on that vessel, Bones," he said quietly. "This is our only viable plan to stop hundreds of ships from waging an all-out war on Yorktown. We don't have time to argue, they've already started their attack."

McCoy fell silent at that. Joanna was on that station. Joanna, almost five hundred members of their crew, and thousands of other innocents whose only crime seemed to be that they wanted to maintain peace in the universe. He nodded somberly, and then joined Spock on the transporter pad.

Scotty frowned in concentration, isolating one ship where he could send these two. It was hard since they were all moving, but by measuring the trajectories and speed of the ships, he could place the duo on board one without accidentally missing and beaming them into space instead.

"Got it," he said triumphantly, and then punched in the commands.

McCoy and Spock disappeared from the  _Franklin_ , as Jim returned to the Bridge.

"How're we looking?" he asked, glancing from Carol at the weapons station, to Uhura a few seats away.

Carol grimaced. "These weapons are ancient, but they'll work," she allowed. "If we can get close enough we should be able to at least get a few of them, but there are hundreds out there. We'll need some serious help."

Uhura glared at her console. "We're too close to the bees," she said, annoyed, unconsciously adopting the same word for describing the swarm as her Captain. "Communications are out again. We won't be able to communicate with the station unless we can knock out the frequency. Which means we're on our own, and unfortunately, so is Yorktown."

Jim nodded, expecting that but not happy with the information all the same.

Uhura's station chimed a moment later, and the officer eagerly transferred the call to the main screen so that the whole Bridge could hear. "Looks like the jam is only one-way," she informed them, relieved. "Incoming call from an unknown vessel, has to be Spock."

Jim nodded, relieved. A call was much better than the only other plan he had come up with to get the two men back – have Scotty track the ship and then try to beam them back blind, without knowing whether they had actually gotten the information they needed.

**XXX**

On the enemy vessel, Spock and McCoy got further confirmation that their theory of technology linking the ships together was correct when they arrived to see there was no one on board, yet it was obviously flying in a set formation.

McCoy immediately took a seat at the steering console; thankfully these ships could be operated by a person if necessary.

Spock went to the computer and started searching for the information they needed. After a few minutes, he had it, and contacted the  _Franklin_. "Captain, I have the frequency. Stand by to receive." He sent the information along and then followed up, "The linked connection has the ships operating under a hive mentality as you posited. By disrupting the frequency, I believe we can force them out of their current formation, which may cause many of the vessels to crash."

On the  _Franklin_  Jim nodded in confirmation. "What do we need, Lieutenant?" he asked, looking at Uhura.

The Communications officer quickly isolated the frequency and then furrowed her brow in consideration. "Something loud," she mused. "I've got the frequency, we just need to play something over it. If it's disruptive and loud enough, it should drown out the signal they're getting, and it'll have the reaction we're looking for."

"There is a music maker on board!" Jayla immediately chimed in. "We can wire it to the ship and broadcast it, right?"

Uhura nodded. "That would work."

Jayla immediately left the Bridge to get the device.

Jim looked at the Communications station. "Get ready to tell Yorktown what's going on and let them know what we're going to do as soon as we get communications back."

Uhura nodded as Jim turned back to the open comm. with Spock. "We're almost ready here," he informed them. "All hell is about to break loose, so get ready to drop out of the formation so you don't go down with the rest of them."

"Pleasant."

He heard McCoy's growl in the background, though all Spock said in response was "Understood."

Jayla returned, and she and Scotty immediately got to work wiring what was probably a very old boom box into the ship's sound system. Jayla must have found it among the  _Franklin_  crew's personal effects.

It took them a few minutes and some arguing, but finally Jayla stood up. "Done!" she announced.

Jim took a seat in the Captain's chair once more, relieved. A glance out the large window in front of them showed how dire the situation was about to become. The large space station of Yorktown loomed ahead, and all around it was a swarm of enemy ships. A few small explosions on Yorktown's shields showed that they were already attacking. "Let's do this," he said grimly.

Uhura immediately started preparing the music to broadcast on the correct frequency. "For this to work we have to be close," she warned.

Jim glanced at her. "How close?" he asked for clarification.

Uhura's responding look was not that reassuring. "Very," she replied. "Sulu, you need to get us right in front of them."

"We need to draw their attention away from the station," Jim said. "Chekov, Carol, fire at will."

Neither officer hesitated to follow the order, firing multiple shots into the swarm of ships.

It got the response they were looking for, as the swarm turned as one, abandoning Yorktown to focus on the newcomer.

Sulu gulped, but kept the  _Franklin_  on its original trajectory, heading straight for the oncoming wave.

"Put us in the middle of it, Sulu," Jim said, perhaps unnecessarily. Sulu knew he needed to get them closer. "Uhura, get ready to broadcast."

Uhura's hand hovered millimeters over the button, ready to press it as soon as she was given the command.

The distance was shrinking rapidly. Two hundred meters. One hundred meters. Fifty. Twenty.

"Now!" Jim yelled, and Uhura pressed the button.

Jim blinked, startled, and then grinned as the opening sequence of Sabotage, by the Beastie Boys started screaming out from every speaker the ship had. "Good choice," he complimented.

Jayla looked at him and grinned back.

The music had an immediate reaction, as explosions started to go off among the wave of ships in front of them.

Sulu expertly swung the ship around to avoid getting hit, and then was circling back immediately as Chekov and Carol kept picking off stragglers.

"Can we communicate again?" Jim asked quickly, and when Uhura nodded, he smiled slightly. "Tell Yorktown the frequency," he ordered. "Have them broadcast as well."

"Captain, three ships have separated from the swarm and are entering Yorktown," Spock interrupted them. "We are in pursuit."

Jim nodded quickly. "Sulu, follow as well. Spock, keep them in your sight but don't engage."

From the station, the same deafening song began to play, and more ships started to explode. It seemed the situation out here was under control, so Jim didn't feel guilty at his decision to enter the station in pursuit of whomever was operating those ships. Most likely it would be Krall and possibly Kodos, carrying out whatever plan B they had for destroying the talks taking place on the station.

"Commodore Paris is sending a few ships out to help, but I'm not sure how much they'll have to do once they arrive," Uhura informed Jim. "With the frequency disruption, it's likely that most of the ships out here will be destroyed in the next few minutes."

Jim nodded to show he heard her, and then focused on the helm. "Any idea where these guys are going?"

Chekov calculated the trajectories quickly. "Based on their current path, they're heading straight for the city center."

Jim considered options. "Any chance we can get in front of them?"

Chekov furrowed his brow. They were heading through a tunnel underneath the city, while the enemy ships – and Spock and McCoy's vessel – were out in the open. "Uncertain, sir," he finally replied.

"Do it anyway," Jim ordered.

Chekov barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Why ask if you weren't going to listen? But he just followed orders as Sulu increased their speed.

"It looks like they're heading for city control," McCoy's voice chimed in through the communicator.

Jim nodded slightly. "Keep them in sight, we're almost there."

"What the hell are you planning to do?" McCoy's voice sounded skeptical to all of them.

Jim shook his head. "Just make sure they stay on the same heading." He turned back to the helm. "Sulu, get ready to exit the tunnel."

Sulu looked back at him, startled. "Seriously?"

Jim raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, and Sulu turned back to his station. Of course. This was a Jim-level crazy plan, but somehow, Sulu had no doubt that it would work.

All of them watched their progress on the screen in front of them; the large window showed the tunnel, but the readouts also showed everything from their speed to how far away the end of the tunnel was from their current location.

Jim counted down in time with the readouts, and at what he hoped was the right moment, yelled for Sulu to exit the tunnel.


	15. Chapter 15

Sulu obeyed Jim's shout with reflexes that would have made any pilot proud.

With a rumble that probably terrified any civilians or personnel who had been in the city square, the  _USS Franklin_  rose up out of the small lake that occupied a large part of the open space.

Three ships that had been heading towards the large building that housed the control room and many of the official offices for Yorktown personnel were caught unawares, and crashed into the underside of the  _Franklin_ before they had a chance to attempt any evasive maneuvers.

The  _Franklin_  crashed down to the ground, and everyone on the Bridge breathed a sigh of relief as soon as their teeth stopped rattling from the force of the impact.

Once the ship was settled, Jim opened up a shipwide comm. and ordered everyone to evacuate.

"Captain, we have three unidentified signatures on board," Carol's voice interrupted any other directions Jim was about to give.

Jim stopped and reconsidered. After a moment's silence, he nodded decisively, and commed down to Medbay. "April, please join us on the Bridge." He turned back to the others. "Carol, you and April need to evacuate. Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, let's get looking."

He went to a side panel where several phasers were stashed, and handed them out to those who would remain behind.

Carol looked like she wanted to protest, but the steely look on Jim's face told her quite clearly that this wasn't the time or place. And she couldn't disagree with his order, all things considered. April arrived at that moment, and agreeably led Carol off the Bridge and towards the exit without hesitation.

Once outside, April tried leading Carol towards the hotel she and Jim had been staying at before their departure days earlier, a good distance away from the city center and any danger.

Carol immediately dug her heels in though, refusing to go anywhere other than the control room. "If I can't be there in person, I will not hide out in my room until it's all over," the Brit argued, and April was left with little choice but to follow Carol. Not that she tried too hard – she wanted to stay close as well.

The control room was buzzing with activity, some screens monitoring the situation in space outside the protective shields, others searching for problems inside. One screen was focused on the mess in the city square and the  _Franklin_  that was lying half in and half out of the small lake.

Archer, Barnett, and Pike looked up at their entry, and all three nodded in relief at seeing members of the  _Enterprise_ crew alive and uninjured.

Commodore Paris was there as well, and at seeing the new arrivals, immediately demanded an update.

**XXX**

As their own crew was evacuating, it was hard to find anyone who didn't belong, but Jim and Chekov managed to put down one stranger, while Uhura and Sulu let him know they had found two more.

As those accounted for the three unidentified life signs, the group all met back on the Bridge. None of the people they had found had been Krall or Kodos, and all of them were understandably on edge.

Uhura went back to the Communications station, searching through the records that had been stored on the ship's computers. There was all manner of footage, from old ship logs to more recent video recordings.

Chekov went back to his console and double checked to make sure there were no more life signs on board the ship other than the four of them, while Sulu and Jim could do little more than wait.

Scotty's call interrupted Jim from his position watching the videos over Uhura's shoulder, and he stepped away to speak with the Engineer.

The Scotsman sounded relieved to hear Jim's voice, but there was something in his tone that immediately set Jim on edge. "I'm at the main hub right now," Scotty explained, referring to the central engineering center of Yorktown, located in the basement of the control building twenty five floors below where April and Carol had just joined the Admirals and Commodore Paris. "I'm looking through the systems for any sign of Krall or Kodos…"

He trailed off, and Jim immediately picked up on the edge of worry in the older man's voice. "Anything?" the Captain prodded, not expecting good news.

Scotty bit his lip and shook his head, though he knew Jim couldn't see him. "Not yet, but Jim, I've found something else." He paused, considering what he had seen in the computer's codes he had been searching through while he ran facial recognition on the video security feeds. "It looks like a virus, infecting Yorktown's nervous system."

Jim furrowed his brow. The nervous system was what Engineers tended to call the group of life support systems in any off-planet station or ship – the oxygen, gravity, air filtration and other systems like them that were necessary for anyone to live. In professional settings it was generally referred to as the critical life support systems, but Jim – and many other Captains – tended to copy their Engineer's choice of terms instead, since that was usually what they called it any time they had to converse over issues with any of the systems in question. After a while, the name just stuck. "How bad?"

Scotty grimaced. "Bad," he acknowledged. "Some of them are starting to fail, and from the looks of it, this virus has been working in the background for a while now. It's not something Krall just did, it has to have been active for days at least."

"And no one picked up on it?" Jim asked curiously.

Scotty sighed. "It's elegant," he grudgingly admitted. "Woven into the code in a way that unless you were deliberately looking for anomalies, it would go unnoticed. I only saw it because I caught a hiccup in the air filtration system while I was waiting for results from the face trace. I took a deeper look at the logs, and there's evidence that the life support systems have been slowly malfunctioning to failure for a while."

Jim considered what Scotty was telling him. "Could Lenore have done it, when she arrived at Yorktown?"

Scotty confirmed the idea immediately. "That makes the most sense. It had to have been done from inside the control tower, no one can hack Yorktown. She must have managed to get in sometime after you and the Commodore spoke to her and before we left. If she knows what she's doing, she could have attached a leech to the right console to give herself access."

Jim was well aware of the station's strength, mostly because Jon had asked him and Scotty to try to get in several years ago, when they had been building the station. Starfleet had wanted to make sure the station was as secure as possible, so the Admiral had asked several teams of officers with considerable computer proficiency to make an attempt. From the outside, neither Jim nor Scotty had been able to get in, not alone and not working together. But from the inside it was a different story. Someone with enough computer knowledge could theoretically use what many in the field called a 'leech', a small device that would act as a back door into the system, giving someone access without the correct credentials. But it would have taken a significant amount of skill, since Yorktown's systems were designed to stop exactly that from happening.

"What did you notice in the air filtration system?" Jim asked, wondering exactly what Scotty had seen that had drawn his attention to the issue.

Scotty frowned. "It's weakening several access sites," he explained. "It's not specifically designed to attack the systems themselves, what it's doing is attacking some of the security checkpoints."

"Making it easier to gain access so that the systems themselves can be messed with," Jim mused.

Sulu glanced up from his position by Chekov. "Does that mean what I think it means?" he asked worriedly.

Jim looked over at the pilot, and saw that Chekov was watching him as well, his own expression concerned.

Scotty was confirming before the Captain could say anything. "If Krall could get into the air filtration system, he could disperse just about anything that could do just about anything. You can't completely shut off the system from the control tower, there's a series of codes that need to be entered from one specific console across the station, precisely to make it more difficult to do what it looks like he's trying to do. If he's attacking security checkpoints, that means he's probably trying to gain access to that console. If he gets it, he could suffocate everyone on the station. He could turn off the artificial gravity, he could release a toxin into the air that would kill everyone. If he gets in there he could do just about anything."

Jim quickly grabbed a communicator earpiece and ran out of the Bridge. He stuffed the technology into his ear so that he could have his hands free as he moved. "Scotty, direct me to the nearest access point. Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, keep looking for Krall and Kodos. Spock, Bones, what's going on up there?"

Spock immediately chimed in, "We have kept the Admiralty updated to the current situation, Captain. They are aware that Krall and Kodos are both assumed to be on the station, and have been scanning security feeds in an attempt to locate them."

"Jim, what the hell do you think you're doing?" McCoy broke in, and Jim could almost feel the incredulity through the comm.

"I can think of three weapons we logged on the  _Enterprise_ and stored in our vaults that could do serious damage if released through the vents. We crashed on that planet, they could have easily found one of them. Lenore was way too happy when I told her my plan to find the ship. Also, you said they boarded when we were evacuating, there was no reason for that unless they wanted something."

Uhura and Sulu had thought that was just because Kodos wanted Jim, but it could make equal sense that they had had another agenda as well, only increasing their levels of worry.

Jim didn't break his stride as Scotty instructed him to take a left, and then a right and another right. "No time for this, Bones. Let control know Krall's likely destination. I'm in pursuit." He suddenly caught sight of a very suspicious man with dark skin ducking around a corner, and frowned. It looked like the description Uhura and Sulu had given them of the man who had captured them. "I think I've got eyes on Krall." He kept running.

Spock wasted no time in switching over to the control room frequency and informing them of Krall's likely destination and what Jim had told them.

Carol immediately moved forward and bent down next to the Lieutenant at the Communications console. "Spock, where is Jim now?" she demanded.

There was a brief moment of hesitation before the Vulcan replied, "He is in pursuit."

Carol looked at the Lieutenant next to her. "Switch over to that frequency." There was no room for questioning in her tone. She needed to know what was going on.

Scotty was halfway through a sentence when the Lieutenant complied. "– headed straight up, Jim. Just keep going, he's almost at the console."

Carol was moving the Lieutenant out of the way before she even had time to think about it. Nearby, Jon, Richard, and Chris all considered reprimanding her, but couldn't quite make the effort. They wanted to know as well.

"Jim, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Carol pleaded, knowing that he was putting himself directly in the line of fire,  _again_ , and hating it but knowing that even if she could get him to stop she probably wouldn't. This was who he was, and she had told him once that she would never ask him to change. He wouldn't be the man she fell in love with if he didn't constantly endanger himself to save everyone else.

Jim blinked, pausing slightly as he heard his fiancée's voice. But then he pushed on, and continued in his path. "He's going to kill everyone, Carol. If he sabotages the air filtration, we won't be able to do a thing about it."

Jon moved over and leaned over the microphone. "Jim, do you know his plan?"

"Not the details," Jim admitted, his voice breathless – testimony to the sprinting pace he was keeping as he pursued Krall through the station. "But I can think of a few possibilities, and any one of them spells trouble."

Jon nodded somberly. "Do whatever it takes to stop him."

Scotty chimed in, interrupting them. "Jim, he's entering the airlock now. Damn it, he's opening the hatches! You've got minutes."

Jim clenched his jaw grimly and started climbing the ladder that would take him up to the airlock where Krall had stopped. He pushed open the trap door as Scotty's voice sounded in his ear, "Jim, you need to close all the hatches or whatever he releases will enter the system and we won't be able to stop it."

Jim didn't give any sound of acknowledgement. Krall turned to look at him and leered as he recognized the famous Captain. He pulled out a round disk, and Jim fought not to react as he recognized the device.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," Krall warned.

Jim stopped, holding up his hands. "You don't want to do this," he tried, mind working overtime as he tried to figure out a plan.

His comm. was still open, and unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on who was asked – everyone tuned to this specific frequency could hear every word. Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, McCoy, Spock, Carol, April, Jon, Richard, Chris, and everyone else in the control room listened with baited breath.

Krall glowered. "I am righting a wrong," he insisted. "Mixing with aliens. Disgusting. The only thing they need is to be shown their proper place. These blasted talks are sending them the message that they're our equals. Pathetic!"

Jim was disgusted, but tried not to show it. The longer Krall talked, the more time he had to figure out how to stop him from releasing his weapon. "This isn't the way to send your message," he tried.

Krall snorted. "And you're the worst perpetrator. With your Klingon treaty, and your First Contact 'successes'. I know exactly what I'm doing! I watched Earth bend over backwards for these…  _things_. They came with their technology and their false promises, and we believed them! We let them destroy what made us great!"

Jim frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"They took away my purpose!" Krall shouted. "I was successful, I knew what my mission was, and then suddenly we weren't there to protect America, we were a 'peacekeeping armada' protecting aliens instead."

Uhura, listening to this conversation with a growing realization, saw her vidscreen pause on one particular image. It was the Captain of the  _USS Franklin_ , giving a report on their situation. She frowned, and played the video. As soon as his voice filled the room, she recognized it. It was the same one from the man who had threatened her and Sulu in that cage. The same one that was currently trying to justify his actions to Jim before he attempted to murder everyone on Yorktown.

"Holy shit," she muttered, and then spoke urgently into her comm. Sulu and Chekov looked over at her, confused, but she didn't pay them any attention. "Jim, as crazy as this sounds, I think he's Captain Edison, from the  _Franklin_. I'm looking at his video log right now, and it's him. It looks like him, and it's the same voice. Somehow, he's alive!"

Jim's slightly raised eyebrow was the only indication that he had heard Uhura. His mind immediately worked out the likely scenario. "You were there at Starfleet's foundation," he commented. "You were there when the Vulcans made contact."

Jon and Richard shared a startled look, but Carol just kept staring intently at the microphone of the comm. as if she could somehow be sucked through it to Jim's location so that she could help him.

Spock actually looked visibly shocked when McCoy glanced at him, but he quickly got himself under control.

Krall nodded and glared. "I was a Navy Captain. Proud to serve my country. Then they took away my ship and gave me a new one. I never asked for that!"

Jim frowned. "Captain Edison, I know it must have been jarring, but we had to adapt to survive. It's been several centuries since then, we couldn't just ignore the universe around us anymore."

Krall didn't seem to have been aware just how much time had passed since his final voyage from Earth. "Doesn't matter," he insisted. "We didn't have to take the aliens in and let them dictate how we handled space travel."

Jim took a hesitant step forward. "Edison –"

But Krall was done talking. "Enough!" he roared, and charged Jim.

Jim ducked to the side and landed a punch to Krall's ribs.

And just like that, the fight was on. Krall kept a tight hold on the weapon in his hand, but he clearly knew his way around hand to hand combat.

Jim took a few hits to his head and chest, but managed to give as good as he got. He was fairly certain the ribs he had thought were only bruised when they crashed on that planet were now broken. He also probably had a dislocated shoulder, and potentially a fractured bone in his right leg.

But he was also pretty sure he had broken a few of Krall's ribs and maybe his left arm.

He was just about to attempt a move that would put Krall in a headlock and hopefully end this, when the man gave a loud shout and swung hard. Jim couldn't duck in time, and took the blow across his face. He fell backwards, dazed, and watched through the haze as Krall turned the dial on the weapon. It let out a series of high pitched beeps, and then a cloud rose from the device. Krall grinned and released the device. It hovered in the air, beeping ominously as the cloud swirled in the air, contained to the air directly around the device for now, but not for long.

He turned back to Jim, and was surprised by the Captain's sudden attack; before Krall could do anything, Jim had ducked around his defenses and swung his arms around Krall's neck.

He squeezed tightly, refusing to budge even as Krall landed several more frantic hits. Slowly, the man's attempts weakened, and eventually, Jim felt him slump completely, unconscious.

He lowered Krall to the ground, and took a few desperate gulps of air. "Scotty," he gasped, "Krall released his weapon. Remember Tarellia? He got the sample. I'm trying to close the hatches now." He quickly moved to the nearest one, climbing up a short ladder on the wall so that he could twist the handle closed.

Everyone from the  _Enterprise_ knew exactly what Jim was talking about. Months ago, they had come across the planet Tarellia, and a biological weapon that had been quick, effective, and utterly destructive.

"Hurry, Jim," Scotty's voice was frantic. "We can't let that get into Yorktown's air system. That weapon killed two million Tarellians in less than two days. If it gets into Yorktown, it could kill everyone in a matter of hours."

Jim grimaced and moved to the next corner of the room. He winced as his ribs throbbed in time with his heart, but still climbed the ladder to close the second hatch. "Two hatches closed. I can't put this thing back though, Scotty. I need other options."

He quickly moved the third hatch, and out of the corner of his eye saw the cloud that was emerging from the disk expand to nearly double its previous size. He was running out of time.

The third closed with no issues, but the fourth one gave him some trouble. With a loud grunt, he managed to close it, and then had to wonder what happened next.

In the control room, Jon leaned over and muttered to Richard, "It's contained, but what's it doing to Jim? I remember reading the report on that situation on Tarellia, he needs to get out soon."

Richard shrugged helplessly, but a warning look told Jon not to bring that up with Carol, who already looked one step away from shattering completely.

"Got it!" Scotty's shout was very welcome. "Jim, you're going to shut down the air to the rest of the station. We'll have about fifteen minutes before it has to be turned back on. I need you to open up the northwest stream. That'll take anything straight to the ship entrance bay. Control, can you open the hatch? The weapon will get sucked out to space and die, and then Jim can turn the air back on."

Commodore Paris didn't look thrilled at the solution, but she was experienced enough, and knew enough about Captain Kirk and his brilliant crew, to know that if this was what they were suggesting, it was their only option.

Jim immediately headed to the small computer console in the airlock. He started typing, while a Lieutenant in the control room stood by ready to open the bay on command.

Scotty hesitated for a moment once the Captain let him know he was ready. "Jim, you'll have about three seconds to close it once it's open. It has to suck the weapon out, but if you don't close it in time, you'll be sucked out too."

Carol let out a soft gasp and angrily wiped a few tears away. "Jim, surely there has to be another way?"

Jim shook his head regretfully, knowing she couldn't see him. "I have to, Carol. This is our only option and we don't have time to waste."

Jon cut in quickly; he understood Carol's concern of course, but she needed to collect herself and remain professional. "Be careful, Jim."

Jim took a deep breath and typed in the first sequence that would open up the air stream he needed. "Carol, no matter what happens, never forget how much I love you," he pleaded. "I gave you that ring because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I'm not planning for the rest of my life to last the next five minutes."

Carol clenched her left hand into a fist, the beautiful ring standing out brilliantly on her fourth finger, as she let out a small snort of amusement. A few nearby officers hid their smiles.

Her voice hardened as she got herself under control. "I swear to god Jim, if you let yourself get sucked into space and leave me to raise this baby alone, I will find a way to bring you back and kill you myself."

There was a visible reaction from several officers in the room, but only Jon and Richard seemed to jerk back as if physically hit.

Chris was just as stunned as the others, but managed to get himself under control quickly and couldn't help but smile softly at Carol's comment as he came up behind her and rested a hand gently on her shoulder. She looked up at him, eyes filled with unshed tears, and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

He didn't say anything, but the gesture helped to ground Carol, as Jim let out a soft huff of air that could have been a soft laugh, and responded, "Duly noted." Jim took one more deep breath and let it out slowly. "I love you, Carol. More than life itself." Some part of his brain winced at how much this scene seemed to be imitating his father's final moments, and he refused to let this play out the same way. Without waiting for a reply, he quickly entered the final command. The room suddenly filled with a whirlwind of air as the hatch opened, and Jim gripped the console tightly.

Unfortunately, he had made the classic mistake of not paying attention to the enemy he had downed. Krall completely blindsided him as he lunged, pulling Jim away from the console. The two fought frantically, before Jim landed a solid kick to Krall's chest that had him falling into the weapon just milliseconds before it was sucked out of the opening in the airlock. Jim made a desperate lunge for the computer, but couldn't grab onto anything as he felt himself be pulled backwards and out of the airlock.

"Scotty, any plan b would be appreciated right now!" Jim called out, trying to turn himself around so that he could at least see where he was going.

Scotty immediately started typing, trying to come up with something, anything. Damn it, off the cuff plans were Jim's sort of thing, not his! If control closed the door immediately after the weapon exited, Jim would likely slam into it with all the force of a fifty foot drop onto concrete, killing him just as surely as being sucked out into space would.

In the control room, Carol was actively crying now, and April had to draw her away from the comm., hugging her comfortingly.

Jon and Richard were conferring with the techs, searching for solutions, but they were telling him the same thing about closing the bay that Scotty had determined on his own. Commodore Paris had already dispatched the Engineering lead in the Control Room for that shift to go to the console and stand by, ready to turn the air back on for the rest of the station once they had confirmation that the weapon had been taken care of. Jim would have been able to do that himself, if it weren't for the unexpected change of plans, but now that he was otherwise occupied they needed a backup, and they only had ten more minutes before they needed to get the air back on.

Turning himself around wasn't exactly a blessing for Jim, as he could now see the open bay getting closer and closer. Krall was in front of him, but the man wasn't moving anymore. It looked like parts of his skin had peeled off, likely an accelerated reaction to the weapon that had covered him completely.

Fifteen seconds now. Ten. Five.

Jim closed his eyes, and wished that he had been able to offer Carol something more than repeating his father's last words to his mother.


	16. Chapter 16

A sudden woosh of air blew passed him, and Jim opened his eyes quickly. He told himself he'd have all the time in the world to be surprised later as his hands scrabbled for purchase on the small vessel that had suddenly appeared in front of him.

A door opened, and then Spock was there, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside.

The two collapsed on the floor of the vessel, both gasping for breath.

McCoy was at the comm., telling everyone they had Jim and were heading back to solid ground.

With a deftness that the doctor definitely hadn't had at any time he had flown a shuttle before, he guided the ship away from the closing entrance bay doors and back towards the main square with the buildings that housed the Control Room and other official offices.

Carol immediately wilted in relief, and it was only April's arms that kept her from falling to the floor. "Let's get you back to your room," the doctor tried again, but Carol shook her head stubbornly.

"I'm not going anywhere," she refused to be that fiancée who everyone had to fuss over when they should be more concerned with Jim right now. "I need to see Jim."

April didn't look entirely convinced, but she nodded in agreement.

On the ship, McCoy handed the controls over to Spock and immediately went to Jim's side. Jim hadn't even made an attempt to stand up, and McCoy was worried.

"Thanks for the assist," the Captain was still breathing heavily. He ignored McCoy's presence for the moment, and looked up at Spock. "I assume the Commodore sent people to get the air turned back on?"

Spock nodded, but any confirmation was cut off as Jim let out a sharp gasp when McCoy began probing his side, feeling the bones shift beneath his skin. "Stop that," he muttered, weakly attempting to shove his friend's hands aside.

McCoy frowned. "You've got broken bones, Jim. I'm just trying to see how bad the damage is before you try to hide it all."

Jim grimaced. "Broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, and I think there's a bone in my leg that should not be moving around on its own," he admitted. "Probably a mild concussion as well," he added as an afterthought. "Edison got a few solid hits in."

McCoy's frown deepened in worry. He didn't have his tricorder anymore, but he knew that Jim's assessment was probably accurate. He could feel the ribs, and his shoulder clearly looked out of place. He also thought Jim's left wrist was a little too swollen, but he would know more in a few minutes. "Spock, get us to the hospital. Now."

The Commander nodded quickly, and altered the course of the ship slightly, heading for the large building in question, rather than the main offices they had originally been intending.

As he guided the ship down, Spock informed everyone of their change in destination. Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov immediately headed to meet them, as did Carol and April after a nod from Jon told them to get going.

Scotty wanted to follow as well, but he needed to finish cleaning out the systems from the virus that had been infecting it. He would head to the hospital as soon as possible.

Jim knew better than to protest as McCoy dragged him off the ship as soon as Spock landed. He pushed Jim onto the nearest open bed inside, and grabbed a tricorder from a passing doctor.

Scanning Jim, he noted that the man's assessment was pretty accurate. There were a few bruised muscles, a fracture to his wrist, and there was nothing 'mild' about that concussion, but nothing incredibly life threatening.

McCoy set to work immediately, preparing Jim for the osteoregenerator with a dose of one of the few pain killers that wouldn't send him into anaphylactic shock. He didn't like to use the heavy stuff unless it was bad because the drugs Jim could actually take were pretty serious, but given how many broken bones Jim needed fixed, this definitely qualified for extenuating circumstances.

"I'm going to pop your shoulder back in first," McCoy said apologetically. "I'll fix your leg, then the ribs. Your wrist has a hairline fracture, that won't take very long to heal. The shoulder will be sore for a while, but assuming you'll stay still long enough I can speed up the healing process a little."

At this point, Jim was willing to stay for as long as necessary to get all of his injuries taken care of, but he was realistic enough to know that the situation wasn't completely done yet, and he would need to give a report to someone as soon as possible.

The two were silent as McCoy got started. Spock joined them a minute later, having taken the time to move the ship out of the way so that it wouldn't block the hospital's entrance. There were still injured civilians and peace talk participants being brought in, and it wouldn't help anyone if there was a large ship cutting off access for any emergency vehicles.

A few minutes after that, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov came running in, Carol and April following close behind. After taking a minute to assure herself that Jim was alive and not in any imminent danger of that changing, April moved off to offer her services to the Emergency Department chief, who was grateful for the assistance. There were quite a few people waiting to be seen, mostly for minor injuries obtained in the mass hysteria that had followed the attack on Yorktown. A few were dealing with breathing issues, and some had been struck by falling debris, but fortunately, April didn't expect the casualty list would be too long.

Carol went immediately to Jim's side and wouldn't be moved no matter what. She just stubbornly held onto his uninjured hand and offered whatever silent support she could as McCoy helped Jim thread his now realigned shoulder and arm into a sling to keep it immobile while the osteoregenerator did its work on his other injuries.

"What's the situation with HQ?" Jim asked tiredly, looking around the group and hoping that someone would have an answer.

Carol grimaced when she realized that they were all looking at her now, since she had come from the control room. "I'm sorry," she offered, "We ran out of there too fast to get an update."

Jim squeezed her hand reassuringly in response. "But Kodos is still out there somewhere," he surmised. "I doubt he's going to leave Yorktown until he's done. He's too proud for that."

"Sociopathic, you mean," McCoy muttered under his breath, but they all heard him.

None of them disagreed. "Do we even know if he came with Krall?" Sulu wondered.

When they thought about it, none of them were certain. He hadn't been found among the ships that the  _Franklin_  had stopped, and he hadn't been anywhere near Krall when Jim had seen him.

"Most likely," Jim finally replied, his voice soft and tinged with a haziness that spoke of fairly strong drugs coursing through his system. "This was Kodos' endgame as well. He might have had different reasons than Krall, Edison, whatever he called himself. But Kodos had a plan too, and it all ends here. He's on Yorktown somewhere, I'm sure of it."

"What about Lenore?" Uhura wondered. "Are we looking for her as well?"

Jim looked at her, confused, and with a start, Uhura realized that while she and Sulu had been confronted by the father-daughter duo, none of the rest of them would be aware of the relationship. They knew that Lenore had been in league with Krall and Kodos, but that was it.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Lenore is Kodos' daughter, Jim. She was with him when he came to see us at Krall's prison."

Jim blinked, startled, and Chekov let out a curse in Russian that might have had Jim reprimanding him for his language at any other time. Uhura raised an eyebrow, impressed at the creativity in spite of herself.

Chekov caught the look and blushed, embarrassed.

Jim was about to open up his comm. to talk to Jon or Richard, when he realized he no longer had the earpiece in; it must have fallen out during his free fall towards space. Grimacing, he looked at Spock. "Let the Admirals know, and make sure they're looking for Lenore as well. I knew her escape on that planet would come back to bite us."

Spock nodded, and stepped away to do just that.

"So what happens now?" Sulu asked curiously.

McCoy glared at the pilot. "Now, you all keep silent or get lost. I need to fix humpty dumpty before he decides to go break himself again. Tell Archer that he can talk to Jim after I clear him. If he wants to come by as a friend I can't stop him, but I don't want to hear any mention of official business until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Jim smiled softly, amused at the gruff demeanor and knowing that it was McCoy's way of showing he cared. When the doctor turned his glare on Jim, he just held up his good hand – still entwined with Carol's – in silent surrender.

Spock rejoined them. "Admirals Archer, Barnett, and Pike will be arriving within the next hour," he informed them. "They understandably have questions but are aware that they may not receive answers until the Captain has been medically cleared."

McCoy nodded sharply. "Good. Now you sit down too." He got back to work, focusing on the osteoregenerator. Spock blinked, startled, and McCoy glanced up again, his hands not pausing as he ran through the familiar checks to make sure the device was attached properly. "You're held together with duct tape and a prayer, Spock. As soon as I'm done with boy wonder here, you're next."

Spock inclined his head quickly; though he had to admit some of the vernacular escaped his understanding, the meaning was clear. And he was feeling a little tired, it would not be unseemly to sit for a while.

He dropped into a nearby chair as the others hovered uncertainly, feeling awkward but not wanting to leave.

The tense silence was broken roughly fifteen minutes later when Kevin and Joanna came rushing through the emergency department's open bay. Kevin hadn't been tapped for the rescue mission, and had agreed to watch Joanna for McCoy and April while they went on the short assignment. Both had been worried sick when Pike had contacted them a couple days ago to tell them that something had gone wrong and the  _Enterprise_  was missing.

"Dad!" Joanna immediately rushed to her father's side, and McCoy stopped what he was doing to scoop her into a tight hug.

"I'm all right, Jo-Jo," he promised.

Joanna pulled back and searched his expression for some sign that he wasn't being truthful. She didn't seem to find it, and turned to Jim instead. "Uncle Jim?" she asked hesitantly.

Jim immediately gave her a tired smile. He didn't want to, but he let go of Carol's hand so that he could reach out for the worried teenager instead. Carol understood, even if she still wanted the reassurance, and agreeably moved back so that Joanna could take her place at Jim's side. She moved around to the side, and rested a hand lightly on his leg instead – the unbroken one.

Joanna hopped up on the biobed next to Jim and burrowed into his side, clutching onto his arm anxiously. "How bad is it?" she whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes. There was a large part of her that hated how scared and young she felt – she was almost fifteen for god's sake! – but this was Uncle Jim, and he always seemed to do stupid things to protect other people.

Jim squeezed her hand back. "Nothing your dad can't fix easily," he promised.

Joanna looked at McCoy, and he nodded in agreement, offering her his own smile. "He'll be good as new in a few days."

Joanna let out a sigh of relief, and Kevin also slumped slightly. "I'm sorry for rushing her over here," he tried to apologize, knowing that McCoy didn't like Joanna to see how serious things got sometimes. "She was scared, just wanted to know you were all OK."

McCoy shook his head, cutting the Ensign off quickly. "It's fine," he promised quietly, not wanting their conversation to carry to the teenager who was completely focused on making sure her Uncle Jim wasn't lying about being OK. "I'm glad you brought her."

Once more an awkward silence seemed to descend, broken almost an hour later when Jon, Richard, and Chris came in. McCoy had finished setting Jim up and dragged Spock to a nearby biobed to make sure his quick fix back on that planet was holding and didn't need any more immediate attention.

Uhura had followed after her boyfriend, but Chekov and Sulu commandeered an empty biobed next to Jim's, now that things were calming down slightly and people were starting to get discharged.

Joanna and Carol refused to move from their positions, and Kevin decided to join the others on the biobed.

When the Admirals arrived, McCoy reappeared, Spock trailing behind looking as contrite as it was possible for a Vulcan to get. He reclaimed his earlier seat in the nearby chair while Kevin quickly stood up so that Uhura could sit down as well, and they all turned to focus on McCoy.

The doctor was busy assuring the Admirals that Jim would be fine in a few days, but he wasn't letting the Captain leave the hospital until morning. "You can talk business if you have to, but no interrogations and no debriefs until then," he stated firmly.

Archer nodded in understanding and turned to Jim. "We'll get the full story then," he promised. "For now, just know we're still looking for Kodos and Lenore. We've got all cameras scanning, and facial recognition caught him once, shortly after you guys made your big entrance. He was seen on one camera leaving the square, but nothing since then. There are thousands of people at Yorktown, he could easily slip out without our knowledge."

Jim nodded tiredly. "What's happening with the talks?" he asked curiously. He hoped they hadn't completely destroyed any chance of accomplishing what they had planned.

Chris smiled slightly. "We adjourned for the day as soon as your warning came through. We just spent the last hour reassuring several delegates that everything was safe and the situation was under control."

"We might have to keep the talks on ice until we find Kodos," Jon admitted. "I don't want to risk anything going even more wrong. We did receive a request from the Klingons to meet with you and the rest of our representatives as soon as possible. I'll set it up for tomorrow afternoon."

Jim nodded in acceptance. "We can't let them win," he stated firmly. "We have to make sure the talks stay on track. All Edison wanted was to disrupt this event. He thought Terrans should be superior to all races, and the idea of equality among us disgusted him. We have to preserve what we're trying to achieve here."

Jon immediately nodded. "We will," he promised. "We'll let everyone know what's going on, and we can't keep anyone who wants to leave, but we will reschedule the last couple days we had planned, and we won't let this fall apart."

"Let's set this aside for the moment," Chris jumped in. "You're all probably exhausted, so go get a good night's sleep and we'll worry about this tomorrow." He stepped forward and offered Jim a light one-armed hug, being mindful of the arm wrapped in a sling, and Joanna who was quickly nodding off at her uncle's side. Pulling back, he lightly slapped Jim on his good shoulder.

Jim pulled back, confused. "What the hell was that for?"

Chris gave him a soft glare. "I had to find out I'm going to be a damn grandfather over a comm.? With god knows how many other people listening?"

Jon and Richard tried valiantly to hide their amusement, but weren't completely successful by the look Carol leveled at them. They immediately smoothed their expressions to serious, and focused on the conversation between Chris and Jim.

Jim raised an eyebrow, not even processing the insinuation that Chris was his father. After all these years, it was more true than not. "You do realize that I only found out after we left Yorktown, right? And Carol only knew a few days before that? It was on my list for once we got back."

Chris frowned, but then huffed and shook his head, smiling. "I'm not mad," he promised. "It was just surprising. Congratulations," he glanced at Carol, "to both of you. Not exactly how I imagined a big reveal, but I'm so happy for you." He paused and then looked back at Jim, a gleam in his eye. "But you get to be the one to tell Shay you stole her thunder. You just couldn't let us have the moment, could you?"

Jim rolled his eyes and Carol shrugged, but both knew he was joking. Jon and Richard offered their own congratulations, and the trio left.

Kevin looked around at the group, confused, but didn't comment as the group started to break up. Yorktown had managed to organize rooms for all the  _Enterprise_ crew before the ship had left on its mission. It was supposed to have been a short-term measure until the mission was over, but would need to last a lot longer than anticipated since there was now no more  _Enterprise_. It hadn't been easy for the Yorktown team to find space for roughly sixty more people, but they managed. Many of the crew members were doubling or even tripling up, considering how many other people were staying on the station, but no one was complaining – they were used to missions going pear-shaped, and though this particular situation was new, they were nothing if not adaptable.

Kevin waited with Jim and Carol for McCoy and April to return and collect Joanna as Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov all left to find a bed to crash on. McCoy had let Spock get out of bed to reassure their friends that he was all right, but he wanted the Vulcan to stay overnight as well, just in case. So after giving Uhura a kiss, he dutifully nodded a farewell to Jim and headed back to his own biobed.

While those remaining were waiting for the doctors to come back, Jim told Kevin why the Admirals had been congratulating them, confirming what the younger man had thought they were talking about – he hadn't wanted to presume, but there were only so many ways 'I had to find out I'm going to be a damn grandfather over a comm.' could be taken. The younger man's face broke out into a large grin as he immediately rushed forward to give Jim a hug. "That's awesome!" he said, pulling back after a few moments.

Joanna, from her position at Jim's side, looked up at her uncle eagerly. "So I'm going to be a cousin!" she beamed. "This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to meet her!"

Jim raised an eyebrow. "It could be a boy," he pointed out. "There's a fifty-fifty shot you know."

Joanna shrugged and jumped down from the biobed as she saw her father and new mother returning – April and McCoy had filed the paperwork for April to adopt her just before they had reached Yorktown. Thanks to her father's and uncle's not-so-insignificant connections, it had gotten approved rather quickly. As of two days after the wedding, it was official. "Not in my mind," she said simply. "It's so much more fun to play dress up with a girl."

She bounced away, leaving her parents to watch her go, confused. McCoy took a deep breath, and then let it out, shaking his head. "I don't want to know," he muttered. Louder, he gave Jim a glare. "You aren't leaving the hospital until tomorrow morning," he growled. "I don't care what excuses you try to come up with, I told the staff here not to budge. I'll be back first thing, and yes Carol, I cleared your presence with them too. They'll move you to a private room as soon as they can, and they're going to make sure it's a double bed so you can both get some rest."

Carol smiled gratefully, and Jim let out a huff of annoyance, but thankfully for the doctor he was too tired to protest the order.

April gave Jim and Carol a hug, and the two left the hospital.

Kevin smiled at McCoy's ministrations, knowing that sometimes the best way to get Jim to do anything was to not give him a chance to disobey. "I'll see you guys later," he said, waving as he too followed the path of all the others and made for the hospital's exit.

Jim and Carol shared a look, and then Carol climbed up next to Jim to wait for the hospital staff to move them to a larger bed so they could actually get some sleep.

**XXX**

Archer announced the small delay to the talks the next morning. He assured all delegates and attendees that they were safe, explained in basic terms what had happened the day before – praising Jim and his crew for coming to the rescue – and informed them of the continuing ongoing security concerns that were the reason for the schedule change.

To try and compensate for the inconvenience, Commodore Paris worked with the restaurants and hotels to set up more social events, allowing everyone the chance to still meet and mingle even without the more structured lectures and conferences.

Yorktown Security doubled down and put all their efforts into finding Kodos and Lenore, but there were so many people on the station that it was unfortunately unsurprising that they were unable to make any identifications.

Jim's debrief was quick and painless, and turned into more of a strategy session once the Admirals had all the facts. No ships had left Yorktown since the attack, so logically speaking Kodos and Lenore must still be on the station.

There was concern on whether Lenore was a willing participant since the statements put her at a young age – twenty at the oldest. Jim was adamant, however, that she knew exactly what she was doing.

"She grew up with the man," he reasoned. "I'm not saying I like the idea of it, but she's fully capable of making her own decisions. Kodos raised her to believe in his ideals and that's what she's doing here. She needs to be held accountable for her actions."

Jon frowned but nodded in agreement. "We're still running facial recognition on all cameras, but they have to be avoiding those."

Jim pursed his lips. "So what are the blind spots?" he asked curiously. Everyone looked at him, confused. Jim shrugged. "If the face trace isn't picking them up, then they're probably sticking to security's blind spots. So where are those?"

Richard propped his chin on his hand and thought. "Well, obviously parts of the hotels," he mused. "I mean, the public areas would have cameras, but all the rooms would be a black out. There are a few other places like that around the station." He looked at Paris. "Commodore, can you organize security to do a sweep of those areas? I'll talk with the hotel managers and see if we can look into any empty hotel rooms. I'm not sure how many of those there are, given the number of people currently staying on the station, but maybe they're holed up in one of those?"

"It's a start," Admiral Nogura agreed. "And a fair point, Captain Kirk. I don't like the idea of keeping these talks from proceeding any longer than necessary. We're already on thin ice with some of the delegates. I don't want any of them leaving because of this security issue. We've got too much to lose, with them and with the Klingons."

"How are they handling this?" Jim asked curiously. He hadn't heard anything about the treaty since their return to Yorktown.

Jon shrugged. "Better than some other representatives," he assured the younger man. "They're not making any noise about pulling out. But that's not to say they're happy." He paused. "I think if you were to spend this afternoon with them, it might go a long way in settling any frayed nerves."

Jim nodded immediately. "Of course."

"And we'll hold the talks for a couple days only," Nogura stressed, leveling a severe look at Jon, Richard, and Admiral Willis, the only other people in the room. "The day after tomorrow, we resume as normal. We'll have a reworked schedule for all participants by tomorrow, and we will sign the new treaty with the Klingons at the end of the week as planned."

No one looked particularly thrilled, but they agreed, and the meeting broke up.

**XXX**

Kodos wasn't found.

Security combed through all private areas of the station, the hotels offered a list of unoccupied rooms (not surprisingly, the number of empty rooms in all the hotels combined stayed in the single digits) along with any other areas that weren't covered by cameras, and each one was checked out one by one.

Kodos wasn't there.

Jim, as agreed, met with the Klingons and apologized for the disruption, assuring them that they still considered these talks and the treaty a priority.

There was some grumbling, but when asked what exactly was going on, Jim gained some brownie points for telling them the truth, that there was an escaped convict who had been involved in the attack on Yorktown, and he was still at large.

Given the facts, even the Klingons had to admit that it made sense to disrupt the schedule to find the criminal.

Jim left the room a few hours after he entered it, feeling optimistic.

But after two days, they had to admit defeat for the time being, and could do little more than step up security for the rest of the talks. It resulted in longer lines to enter each lecture and debate, but no one could really blame them.

It was a tense few days for everyone involved in security, anyone who was read into the security issues, and anyone who knew what was going on but didn't have the clearance to know all the details.

Jim spent those days just waiting for something to happen; the Admirals had requested that he spend the time with the Klingons, attending all lectures and talks with them for an added layer of protection and apology for the disruption. They were accompanied by several Security officers in addition to the Klingon guards, who had been allowed to carry their weapons once more, just in case Kodos made an appearance.

Not everyone had been pleased with that decision, but Jon and Nogura were in agreement that it made sense. Kodos and Edison had wanted to attack the talks because they hated the recent movement towards true peace and inclusion. One way to ensure there was no peace between Klingons and the Federation was to kill the Klingon representatives at a Federation-sponsored event.

Jim refused to let that happen, and so he was happy to comply with the Admirals' request. He would have done it anyway, but this way he didn't have to worry about whether he was giving enough time to other delegates as well.

To make up for Jim's lack of availability, the rest of the  _Enterprise_ 's command crew stepped up to ensure that they spread themselves as widely as possible to ensure all the delegates felt safe and heard.

Jim appreciated the action immensely, especially after learning that it wasn't just the command crew. There had been members of his crew who had used their stay at Yorktown for a shore leave, choosing recreational activities over the talks. Once the talks resumed, however, Jim heard from Spock that there was a one hundred percent attendance rate among his crew at the variety of panels taking place throughout the various conference rooms and lecture halls.

It made Jim proud to be their Captain, and he vowed to find some way to thank them… once he had a ship again.

Jon told him that they would be commissioning some of the other ships docked for the talks to take the  _Enterprise_ crew back to Earth, though it likely wouldn't be all at once and they may be stuck on Yorktown for a few days and up to a week or two after the talks ended. Some of the ships would be rolling the event into a shore leave, and Jon couldn't very well ask them to cut that short so that they could ferry a bunch of stranded officers back to Earth.

They were building a new  _Enterprise_  – the design team was already working on new ships to replace the current fleet, so the next one completed would be christened the  _Enterprise_. Jon put the estimate at six months – Jim knew what that meant: until they had a ship again, he and his crew would be assigned dirtside posts, most likely at the Academy though there may be opportunities for positions at some of the satellite campuses and offices in various countries around the globe.

He wasn't too upset about it. Things could have been so much worse and other than the ship, there had been no casualties, though there were a good half dozen crew members who would be on the injured list for at least part of their six months on Earth.

One thing Jim did feel bad about was Jayla's situation. She had been shuffled to the side a little, since their return to Yorktown. He had promised her they would have more time once the talks were over, to discuss what would happen next, and what she wanted to do now that she was off that planet, but for right now all of his attention, all of the Admirals' attention, was focused on making sure the talks remained successful and nothing else happened to derail them.

All in all, Jim thought as he joined the Admirals in preparation to enter the largest auditorium on Yorktown, which would hold upwards of five hundred people who would all watch eagerly as they signed the new peace treaty with the Klingons, things were looking pretty good.

He cursed himself as ten kinds of idiot for forgetting about Murphy's Law half an hour later when the world seemed to explode in pain around him.


	17. Chapter 17

The hall was packed with people when the guests of honor to enter from backstage.

Clan Chief Garazha led his team in from one side of the stage, while Jon led the Federation representatives in from the other.

Garazha and Jon took a seat at the small table that held a PADD containing the newly agreed upon peace treaty, while the Klingons arranged themselves behind their lead representative.

On the Federation side, Jim took up a post next to Richard with Nogura on the Admiral's other side. Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab were there as well, still on the stage but not in the spotlight. Next to them were Spock, Uhura, Vlox, and Shraeter. The lights focused on the stage made it hard to see everyone in the audience, but they knew the tiered room would be completely full. Every seat – roughly four hundred of them – would be occupied, all the way from the shadowed hallway that led to the room's first floor exit, and each row up to the two exits in the back of the room, which offered access to the building's second floor.

All conversation in the hall died as they had entered, so it was with complete silence that Jon began to talk.

"I would like to first take this moment to thank everyone for attending," the Admiral began, gaze sweeping across the packed room though he couldn't make out any specific details – the lights made the audience look shadowed and indistinct. "I would like to thank those who took on the task of organizing this monumental event." He glanced to the side of the room, just barely able to make out Chris and Shay sitting in the front row. "Admiral Pike, Commodore Paris, and Captain One have worked tirelessly to ensure success, and despite some unforeseen circumstances, I must commend them for a well-organized and productive event." He glanced over at the Klingons on the stage. "These talks have been monumental in more ways than one, and I am gratified and proud of the way we have come together to celebrate our differences in the quest for peaceful cohabitation of this universe." He had to pause here as the room broke out into applause.

When the audience had fallen silent once more, Jon continued. "In addition to the efforts made to organize the peace talks, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of a small team whose work began long before any attempt was made to plan the event we have all attended these past two weeks. Captain Kirk led a team of Federation representatives to negotiate an improved and lasting peace treaty with our new comrades the Klingon race. I won't go into the details though if anyone is interested in reading the treaty in full, it will of course be made available once it is signed officially." There were a few chuckles in the audience, as those who knew what such a document would look like imagined the probability of anyone who didn't need to making the effort to read the roughly five hundred page treaty. Jon allowed a small self-deprecating smile as he knew where the amusement was coming from. "I would like to commend Captain Kirk's efforts, as well as the efforts of Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Vlox, and Lieutenant Shraeter of Starfleet, and Ambassador Sarek of New Vulcan, Ambassador Shras of Andoria, and Ambassador Maab of Capella. Without their perseverance and dedication, none of us would be here today."

Once more, there was a round of applause, and then Jon acknowledged the Klingon sitting next to him. "Which brings us to the occasion you are all here to witness this morning. Clan Chief Garazha and his companions have been working diligently with Captain Kirk and our Federation representatives, and after over a year of hard labor and resilience, we are here today to sign the new Klingon-Federation peace treaty into law."

Jon took up the stylus and with a quick flourish, signed his name at the bottom of the PADD. He passed it over to Garazha, who followed suit.

More applause broke out, and Jon and Garazha let them have a few minutes to celebrate. When it started to die down, the two stood up and shook hands to the flashing of multiple cameras.

Jim had remained stoically silent in the background, embarrassed at the public thanks that Jon had given, but also incredibly proud of the work his team had done to get to this point. He was glad that they were on stage with him, to divert some attention and give them the credit they definitely deserved.

A hint of movement in the shadows drew his attention, and he frowned, listening to Jon with half an ear as he tried to get a better look at whatever it was.

Security had swept this room multiple times over the last few days, making sure it would be safe for the treaty signing. No weapons were allowed inside, and everyone had had to be scanned before being allowed to enter. It may be nothing, but he was sure he had just seen something moving around in the shadows off to the side, clearly making an effort not to be seen.

Spock noticed his attention wavering, and took a half step closer to his Captain. "Is there something amiss?" he murmured softly, the words carrying no further than Jim's ear.

Jim didn't look at him. "Eleven o'clock," he whispered back, voice just as quiet. "Could be nothing, but I'm sure I saw movement."

Spock frowned minutely, and looked in the same direction. The room around them erupted in applause, many in the audience rising to their feet as Jon and Garazha stood to shake hands.

At that moment, Jim saw a flash, and was moving before he consciously thought about it. "Down!" he yelled, and then lunged forward, throwing his target bodily to the ground just in time to hear a noise like a bang and feel a searing pain rip through his shoulder.

The cheers turned to screams as people began rushing for the exit. Several more bangs erupted, only adding to the general confusion and mass hysteria. Carol was pulled along by Sulu and Chekov, knowing that Jim would want her safe no matter what. McCoy and April were likewise pushing Joanna down to protect her, as people ignored common sense and were using whatever they could to push themselves forward. Some fell to the floor and were unable to get up as they were trampled by the fleeing masses.

Chris was in the first row when he heard Jim's yell, and though his thoughts were split between Jim's hard impact with the floor and making sure Shay got somewhere safe, his eyes focused on the direction the shot had come from, searching for the culprit.

Another shot rang out, and the screams intensified as one of the Klingon guards fell to the ground. Chris' gaze narrowed. That one had come from a different direction. He was off and running before Shay, still standing at his side, could make an effort to stop him – not that she likely would have.

"Clear the stage!" Jon barked, picking himself up off the floor and looking over at his fellow treaty signer.

Garazha was mostly covered, and appeared to be a little dazed, but he didn't make any movements until his fellow Klingons were at his side, moving Jim away to check their Clan Chief for injury.

" _I am unhurt_ ," the Klingon muttered in his own language, and allowed them to help him sit up. He looked over at Jim, who had made no effort to do the same. He could see a large red mark spreading across the man's back, staining the Command gold shirt an ugly maroon.

Before he could make an inquiry however, the Captain's First Officer was there, ripping his own blue shirt off, leaving him in just the plain black undershirt. He pressed the article of clothing to his Captain's injury, and all were relieved to hear a pained gasp come from the man at the contact.

"Move," Jon barked. He would let himself worry later, right now they were all vulnerable.

Security officers flooded the stage and formed a perimeter, ushering everyone back stage quickly. Spock slung Jim's good arm around his own shoulders, and practically dragged him along. Richard was suddenly at Jim's other side, helping as much as he could.

Jim seemed to come to awareness at least partially, because he started to help with the walking after a few steps. His gait seemed uncertain and he definitely needed the assistance, but at least he wasn't completely unconscious.

Security led them to a secured room backstage. The doors were closed behind them, and two officers set themselves at the entrance, phasers in hand and ready to fire.

The Klingons immediately moved to the back of the room, dragging their own injured colleague along, while Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab stopped in the middle, uncertain of what they should be doing. Nogura immediately pulled out a comm. and he and Jon crowded over it, getting an update on the situation.

A set of hands helped Spock and Richard lower Jim to the ground, and when the Vulcan looked up, he saw Uhura's worried gaze watching him. Behind her, Vlox and Shraeter were hovering, not sure how they could help.

"He needs a doctor," Uhura said, unnecessarily.

Spock inclined his head but it was Jon who replied, leaving Nogura's side and kneeling next to the trio in an attempt to make his own assessment of Jim's health. "We're not going to be able to leave until they neutralize the threat," he said regretfully. "I've already told Security we need medical assistance, but they won't let anyone in until they have the attacker in custody."

"What kind of weapon was that?" Shraeter asked curiously. "It was so much louder than phaser fire."

"Gun," Jim groaned, bringing all of their attention to him. Jim attempted to sit up a little more and opened his eyes, but closed them again when the lights almost blinded him. He shook his head a few times trying to clear his vision, and then opened his eyes again. Still hazy, and now he was nauseous too. Not exactly what he had intended. Resigning himself to the blurry vision, he sighed. "Old fashioned weapon," he explained to the young crew member. "Haven't been used on Earth since phasers were invented, but that doesn't mean they can't be found. The _Franklin_ was full of them. They fell out of fashion because they're messy and crude. Fuck that hurts," he winced at the pain in his shoulder. "Is there an exit wound?"

Spock frowned and examined the injury. "You are only bleeding from one location, Captain. It appears the projectile entered your back, but I do not see a matching wound on your chest."

Uhura shook her head, amused at her boyfriend's need to fully explain everything rather than just go with a simple yes or no.

Jim grimaced. "Shit," he muttered. "I don't suppose you can tell me how big the entry wound is?"

"There's too much blood," Jon said briskly. "Stop trying to self-diagnose. We'll get a doctor in here as soon as possible."

He knew that Jim was trying to see how bad it was, and knowing there was still a bullet somewhere in there made Jon just as nervous, but Jim seriously needed to relax right now. They had no idea how long they would be stuck in here.

There was an increase in noise from the group of Klingons, and when the Starfleet officers looked over, they saw Garazha waving away his guards and whatever objections they were giving to his planned actions. He stood up and made his way over to the other side of the room.

"How is Captain Kirk?" he asked, frowning when he saw that the man's shirt was practically saturated with blood by now.

Jon bit his lip, looking back at his young friend. Jim had closed his eyes once more, seeming to take Jon's instructions to heart. "Potentially serious, he will need medical attention soon," he finally replied, turning back to the Klingon.

"Still breathing, Jon," Jim's voice was soft, and when they all looked at him his eyes remained closed.

Jon rolled his eyes at the predictable response. "How is your officer?" he asked, looking back at the Klingon.

Garazha almost smiled. "Much like Captain Kirk, he insists that he is fine and there is no need to fuss. The projectile seems to have entered his leg but there is not as much blood as from the Captain's wound."

Jon nodded, relieved. "That's good. We'll get doctors here as soon as possible, but we're on lockdown until they find the shooter or shooters."

Garazha looked like he had expected that answer, so he didn't protest. Instead, he turned to the Captain on the floor. "I cannot thank you enough for saving my life, Captain. You have the Klingon Empire's gratitude."

Jim still didn't open his eyes, but his hand jerked slightly, in a 'don't worry about it' gesture.

Uhura frowned. "Admiral, we can't wait until it's clear. He's going to bleed out."

"Not that bad," Jim muttered, but none of them bought it.

Jon grimaced, and looked at Nogura. His fellow Admiral looked apologetic, but shook his head. "Security won't let us out until they're done. I can't override it."

"This is unacceptable," Spock's eyes flashed angrily, and they were all so stunned to see him showing emotions so clearly, that the room was silent.

"Spock." The Commander's gaze lifted to see his father watching him compassionately. A silent conversation seemed to be held between father and son, and then the younger turned his gaze away, anger fading slightly as he returned his attention to his Captain and friend.

Uhura lay a hand reassuringly on his arm, but didn't say anything.

And the rest of the room continued to watch.

**XXX**

Chris demanded a phaser from the nearest Security officer he could find, and was off and moving as soon as he had the weapon in hand.

He was pushing against the crowd of fleeing delegates, and unfortunately it seemed like the Security officers were too busy controlling them to actually look for the shooters.

"Chris!" the Admiral jerked, and then wilted in relief at seeing Shay rushing towards him. Guilt kicked in briefly, realizing that he had just run off and left his pregnant wife behind. "What's going on?" she asked quickly.

Chris gave her a quick but intense hug, before pulling back and shaking his head slightly. "Get out of here, hole up in the closest room you find, and lock the door," he ordered, not giving her a chance to argue.

Shay watched him rush back in the direction of the auditorium they had just left, and wished she could help. Logically, she knew he was right. She was pregnant, she had no business putting herself in danger. But it still hurt.

"Captain One!"

Shay looked around at the shout, and then saw a trio of _Enterprise_ officers running towards her.

Chekov was the one who had called her name, and he and Sulu seemed to be focusing half their attention on making sure Carol didn't try to run away and look for Jim.

"What's the situation?" Sulu asked briskly as they drew closer.

Shay grimaced, but drew them all into a nearby room, out of the crowd of people, before she answered. "Chris is looking for the shooter. He told me to lock myself in a room until it's over. Logically I know he's right, but I want to be out there with him."

"Where's Jim?" Carol asked desperately. "I saw him go down."

"We don't know what happened on that stage," Shay said softly. "Protocol would have them all holing up in a protected room until the threat is neutralized. He's got Jon, Richard, Spock, Uhura, and everyone else looking out for him."

Sulu nodded in agreement. "Carol, stay with the Captain. Pike's right, lock yourselves in here and don't open the door until we come back."

Carol looked like she wanted to argue, but then wilted. She knew she couldn't go off looking for danger right now. Besides, she may have a specialty in advanced weaponry, but that was design not practice. She wasn't Security trained. She nodded in acceptance, and watched as the two left the room.

Shay quickly bolted the door behind them, and then turned back to the young Lieutenant. Carol was unfortunately in a similar position to herself; the two had told her about their own upcoming addition to their family, and she was thrilled for them. But it also meant that while Carol may want to go charging in to help, she now had to think about her unborn child as well. It wasn't fair that the fathers could go running off into danger while they had to stay behind, but that was biology, and they couldn't change it. All she could do right now was try and calm the younger woman down and make sure that she didn't work herself into a panic that could actually have health-related consequences, particularly when one took into consideration everything else Carol had gone through in the last couple weeks.

"You'll make yourself sick with worry," Shay advised wisely. "I've known Jim long enough to know that the man has an uncanny ability to beat the odds. The best thing we can do for our bullheaded significant others is to keep ourselves safe so that they don't have to worry about us."

Carol bit her lip and sniffed a few tears away, but nodded grimly and let Shay pull her to a seat far away from the door and any windows.

**XXX**

Sulu and Chekov also had to find a Security post so they could get weapons, and it was a little harder to get the officer to agree than it had been for Admiral Pike, but soon enough they were able to join in the search.

By unspoken agreement they stayed together as the crowds began to thin. Most had already left the immediate vicinity of the auditorium, but there were a few bodies lying on the floor, having been knocked over by the fleeing masses.

The two had to make a quick decision, and ultimately ended up pausing in their search efforts to drag any bodies they saw to the nearest rooms. Most were unconscious, though there were some who were only dazed from the fall, but had broken legs or other injuries that made it impossible to walk. They gratefully thanked the two officers for their help, and Chekov and Sulu were soon on their way.

There were more injured closer to the hall they had escaped from, but no more rooms to hide people in. The two officers had to be content with dragging them to the side of the hallway and hope that no one came looking to finish the job.

"Let her go!"

The shout echoed from the large hall where the treaty had been signed, and Chekov and Sulu looked at each other, wide-eyed. They recognized Pike's voice, and quickly hurried forward, hoping to help.

When they entered the room, they kept to the shadows, hoping to get an idea of the situation before they barged in.

They could see Chris' profile, by the stage. He was in a defensive posture, attention focused on whatever was happening in front of him. His phaser was locked on something, but neither Sulu nor Chekov could see what.

"One more step and I pull the trigger," a male voice warned.

"Just do it! Kill them all, father."

That voice was female, and both of them recognized Lenore. So the male voice had to be Kodos then. They crept forward, trying to see further into the room and hopefully help get what sounded like a hostage out of danger.

One more step, and Chekov could see what was going on. Kodos was standing a few rows up, holding a young woman in a tight grip. The woman looked terrified, and there was a large bruise covering one side of her head, showing where she had likely been struck, either by Kodos or the fleeing crowd in their haste to leave.

There were a few more bodies in the room, but Chekov couldn't tell if they were still breathing.

Lenore was standing behind her father, her own weapon locked on the row of chairs Chris had taken cover behind. It looked ancient to the young navigator, not like the current phasers that Starfleet officers carried.

It didn't look like Pike had a clear shot of either criminal, having to keep himself out of view as he knew the moment he gave them a chance they wouldn't hesitate to shoot. And if he tried to get in a shot, Kodos would kill the hostage.

Chekov's view of the criminals wasn't that much better, blocked as he was by the curve of the wall that formed the hallway they were standing in. He looked back at Sulu and nodded slightly, eyes wide.

Sulu grimaced and crept forward to join him.

"You're not walking out of here," Chris said, voice calm. "Don't make this worse."

"I've already been sentenced to life in prison," Kodos sneered. "What more can you do? Federation weaklings outlawed the death penalty decades ago."

Chris knew that but couldn't help wishing they could bring it back for this man. He would certainly sleep better if this asshole was permanently taken care of, and he was sure Jim would as well. For everything Kodos had done, for all the lives he had destroyed and all the people who would be scarred forever due to his actions, this man deserved to die.

But Chris was a Starfleet officer first and foremost, and he wouldn't disrespect the uniform he wore.

Chekov and Sulu were so focused on Chris and Kodos, that the new sound of a phaser's whine almost had them jumping from surprise and giving away their location.

The shot had come from the back of the room, where the rear exits were located. The shot impacted Kodos' back, and he and his hostage fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The hostage quickly crawled away, trying to hide in the row of seats next to her.

Lenore let out a furious shout and whirled around with her weapon raised. Before the Chris could stand up and fire however, Chekov popped out from their hiding spot and fired two shots in quick succession. Lenore dropped as well.

Chris looked at the young officer and nodded in approval, before turning his attention to whoever had fired from the top of the room. "Show yourself," he called out, grippig his phaser tightly but without the tension he had had when facing off against Kodos. this person was far more likely to be an ally.

"Coming out!" A female voice warned them so that they wouldn't shoot, and a moment later, April was there, holding up a phaser nonthreateningly.

She rushed down the stairs, almost smiling at their obvious surprise. "Len and I were on the second floor, helping some of the injured," she explained. "There were a lot of people trampled by the crowd. I heard raised voices in here, so I thought I'd check it out. Wasn't really expecting that," she gestured to Kodos' unconscious form.

"Nice shot, and excellent timing," Chris approved. He pulled out his comm. and called for Security to remove the prisoners, and then looked over at Chekov. "You too."

Chekov was too busy glaring at Kodos to respond, and as Chris saw April giving the man the same look, he knew what they must be going through. It was a fitting conclusion, he had to admit – two victims of this man's crazy ideals being the ones to bring him to justice. It felt much more right than if he had been the one to fire the shot that brought Kodos down.

Security officers arrived and interrupted anything else that might have been said. They quickly locked handcuffs around Kodos and Lenore's wrists, as more officers arrived with Commodore Paris.

Chris quickly gave his report and gestured for the officers to let April begin checking the bodies still in the room. His report was followed by a demand for more doctors, and Paris nodded.

"We've already requested the hospital send people over," she assured them. "They were stuck outside until we could neutralize the threat, but I will have them sent in as soon as these two are taken away and Security sweeps the building. I believe they were working alone, but we don't want to take any chances."

They all watched in silence as Security removed the two criminals from the room.

Paris turned back to Chris with a sigh. "We owe you a debt of gratitude, Admiral," she said with a soft smile. "And to you all," she acknowledged the other officers in the room. "I'm afraid Security was so busy with crowd control, they were unable to mount a successful search for the perpetrators."

Chris shrugged. "We all do what we can. How are the Klingons and everyone from the stage?"

Paris grimaced, eyes apologetic. "I'm afraid they are still on lockdown. I have received Admiral Nogura's request for medical attention, but we couldn't let anyone in or out until we had those two in custody."

Chris felt his heart stutter at the knowledge that they needed medical help. He remembered Jim going down and knew immediately who would have been the cause of that call for aid.

The door at the top of the room slammed open, and everyone automatically raised their weapons at the intruder.

McCoy glanced around the room and raised his hands in surrender. "I heard phaser fire," he said slowly.

April popped up from her spot in one of the rows of seats, where she had been assessing a young Andorian's broken ribs. "It's over, Len," she promised. Her eyes were weary but relieved. "Commodore, now that the situation is resolved, perhaps Doctor McCoy could go check on our Captain?"

Paris looked between the two doctors and nodded. "Take Doctor McCoy to the safe room," she instructed two of the Security officers that had stayed with her.

They acquiesced and led McCoy towards the stage, disappearing quickly behind it.

Paris turned back to April. "We're getting more doctors to help, but we appreciate you pitching in however you can." April nodded her agreement.

Sulu suddenly frowned as he thought of something. "April, where's Joanna?"

The doctor immediately smiled. "Safe," she promised. "Kevin took her when Len and I decided to circle back and help. He promised to get her to a room and lock the door. He won't open it until someone he trusts gives him the all clear."

Sulu and Chekov nodded, relieved to hear that the teenager was safe. "Carol is with Captain One," Sulu informed everyone. "They have the same instructions."

Paris took her leave, needing to coordinate with the Security teams; they would clear the building and do another sweep to make sure the danger had completely passed. All attendees who had fled during the madness had been detained in a nearby building, and they wouldsend along any who hadn't managed to get out of the building before they had locked it down and had simply hidden themselves until the situation was resolved. Security teams would be taking statements and having everyone checked by a doctor, before they would be released back to their rooms.

Paris would need to work with Jon to reorganize the schedule yet again. There had been a few more events that were supposed to take place after the treaty signing, but it might be best to just skip to the farewell dinner and call these talks before anything else could go wrong.

Chris followed Sulu back to the room the pilot had left Shay and Carol in, while Chekov got Kevin's location from April and promised to stay with them through any debrief.

**XXX**

The Security officers with McCoy quickly informed those at the door that the threat was over, giving a code word that ensured they knew the order was coming from the Commodore and not because they had been coerced or threatened. The officers at the door obligingly stood aside to let the doctor enter.

McCoy barely took a second to take in the room before he was quickly moving to the group clustered against one wall. Vlox and Shraeter stepped back immediately, and Uhura also moved to let McCoy take her place at Jim's side.

Spock refused to budge. He hadn't moved from his position holding the now blood-soaked blue shirt against Jim's injury since they had entered the room, and he hadn't spoken since his last comment that their actions were unacceptable.

McCoy had to physically peel the Vulcan's hands away so that he could remove the shirt and see the damage. Jim stirred weakly but didn't seem to be completely aware.

It wasn't pretty, and McCoy couldn't even see what was wrong because of all the blood. "What the hell were they firing?" he muttered disgustedly. This wasn't a phaser wound.

"A gun," Uhura supplied helpfully. "There's no exit wound, so the bullet is probably still inside."

McCoy looked at her incredulously, and then hurriedly barked out orders, "I need a gurney in here now. He needs an OR."

One of the Security officers pulled out his comm. He spoke into it briefly, and then looked back at the doctor. "It may be a few minutes," he said regretfully. "They're still clearing the entrance and the doctors won't be allowed in until that happens."

"Not good enough," McCoy growled. "He's already lost too much blood."

"Perhaps I may?" Spock spoke for the first time, and McCoy watched with a raised eyebrow as the Vulcan gathered Jim up in his arms and stood up. "Doctor, you said it was urgent?"

McCoy forced his expression back to its normal scowl, and stood as well.

The officers all stepped aside as the two rushed from the room. Behind them, Jon requested another doctor be sent to see to the Klingon's injury as well. The Klingons couldn't begrudge McCoy for seeing to the human first, he was clearly in worse shape, but their companion would still need to get his injury seen to, and sooner would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m about to go on vacation for the next week, so I won’t be able to post the next chapter next Friday. I’ll be back late Saturday night, and will get the chapter out on Sunday. Just a heads up!


	18. Chapter 18

By the time everyone else arrived at the hospital, Jim was already in surgery with McCoy, and Spock had been left to wait anxiously for any news.

Uhura got there first, having left shortly after McCoy and Spock. Archer and Barnett had wanted to come, she explained softly to her boyfriend, but they had to meet up with Commodore Paris and get a handle on the situation. They would stop by later. The Klingons had passed on their request to be kept updated to Jim's condition, and some would perhaps come by once he was out of surgery.

Carol, Shay, Sulu, and Chris were next, and they were followed only a few minutes later by Chekov, Kevin, and Joanna. All of them had given statements to the officers at the scene, before Archer had informed Chris of Jim's location and they had all headed straight to the hospital.

Chekov had sent Scotty a message to let him know, and the Engineer came rushing in as soon as he could. He hadn't been at the treaty signing, as he had gotten caught up on a call with the design team back on Earth, working out some upgrades he had wanted to add to the new  _Enterprise_.

April was held up helping at the scene, but she did manage to join them a few hours later, and still before McCoy re-emerged from the operating room.

When the CMO did so hours later, the entire group was on him before he had a chance to take three steps into the waiting room. He held up a hand tiredly, and gratefully accepted a bottle of water from April. Joanna rushed to his side and burrowed in, holding onto her father tightly. He slung an arm across her shoulders and hugged her back.

"He's in Recovery," the doctor informed them. Everyone relaxed immediately at the news, and McCoy continued, grimacing lightly. "There's a reason guns fell out of style. They're messy and crude, and incredibly inelegant. This was a large caliber bullet, and the fact that it didn't exit could have easily done a lot more damage than it actually did. As it is, the bullet entered his shoulder at an angle and shattered his clavicle on the way down. It ended up lodging itself behind his lung. We had to remove it without damaging the organ, which is why it took so long. The clavicle should be easy enough to fix with the osteoregenerator, we'll do that tomorrow once he's had some time to recover a little from the blood loss."

"But he's going to be OK," Uhura said, wanting the reassurance. She hadn't thought it was so serious, but it had been horrifying to watch Jim slowly lose consciousness and blood while they were trapped in that room and unable to do anything to help him.

McCoy nodded reassuringly. "He's going to have to stay here for a few more days, but there's no reason to expect anything less than a full recovery."

"So now what?" Sulu asked, looking at the others.

"Get out of here, go eat something, and get some rest," McCoy answered immediately. "Jim's going to be fine and I have no doubt you're all as exhausted as I am."

Several of them looked like they wanted to protest, but then Chris chimed in giving his support to the idea. "He's right. There's no point in sticking around here. Security's got our statements, we should all go get some rest. It's been a long day." It really had been, and looking at a nearby chronometer showed them that it wasn't even dinnertime yet.

With both McCoy and Chris staring them down the group had no choice but to depart. All except Carol who refused to even consider leaving without seeing her fiancé. McCoy didn't try to dissuade her, and silently led her back to Jim's room.

He left her there and returned ten minutes later with a tray of food that he set in front of the woman with a stern look.

Carol knew better than to argue with that, and ate slowly as McCoy exited the room once more, making for the hospital's entrance where April and Joanna were waiting on him to head back to their hotel suite together.

**XXX**

Jim stayed unconscious all night, though the nurse who stopped by to check on him periodically assured Carol that they were keeping him under on purpose – a shattered clavicle was a painful injury, and they wanted to keep him out until they could get a start on repairing it. Keeping him under was also McCoy's way of making sure he didn't try to escape the hospital on his own.

The doctor in question returned early the next morning, bringing updates from the Admirals with him.

"They cancelled the last few panels," he informed Carol as he probed Jim's shoulder to determine how it was healing. "There's going to be a farewell dinner tonight, and most attendees will depart in the next day or two. I got the feeling Archer and Nogura just wanted to quit while they were ahead. Kodos is being sent straight back to Elba II, but they need to bring Lenore to Earth for trial before she can be sentenced." He shook his head in annoyance and growled, "Archer said it might not be as cut and dry with her – she's still young, some people think she might not have been acting willingly."

Carol rolled her eyes. "She knew exactly what she was doing."

McCoy nodded in agreement, and then turned his attention back to Jim. "We'll all be heading back to Earth as soon as they figure out who's going on which ship. Archer said he wanted to finalize things with Jim before sending out official notices."

Carol looked at her fiancé. "How long are you going to keep him under?"

McCoy sighed. "I'd like to sedate him until I'm ready to let him leave the hospital, but I know that's not an option. We're going to get his clavicle repaired this morning, and that's going to hurt like hell. I'll take him off the sedatives this afternoon, so he should be awake by evening. The bone will probably ache for a few days, but it won't be debilitating."

Carol frowned. "What about pain killers?"

McCoy shrugged. "He'll be on them for the rest of the day, but you know how we feel about them. He's allergic to most of the weaker ones, and I don't want to keep him doped up for a week while the ache goes away. Even if I wanted to, Jim wouldn't allow it and the Admirals need him alert to wrap up the aftermath of this cluster fuck."

Carol didn't like it, but she did understand the reasoning, and McCoy was right.

The doctor glanced up, and then shook his head. "Go take some time to yourself," he urged. "I know you want to stay, but Jim's going to be just fine. I'll be with him, so go back to your room, shower and change, and for god's sake get something to eat."

Carol almost argued, but then she slumped in defeat and gave Jim a soft kiss on the cheek before she left the room.

**XXX**

McCoy's estimation was correct; fixing his clavicle took several hours, and he waited a few more after that to start reducing the dose of sedatives. By early evening, Jim was completely off of them and only receiving the mildest pain killer McCoy could give him.

Carol had returned by noon, just in time to be at his side as they finished up with the osteoregenerator, and hadn't moved from that spot since.

Chris and Shay came by for a while in the afternoon, and the command crew all stopped by as well. Jayla arrived with Scotty, and seemed as relieved as the rest of them to hear that Jim would make a full recovery.

By evening however, it was just Carol and McCoy in the room when Jim began to stir.

The moment he opened his eyes, McCoy was there. "You're an idiot," the doctor growled, hands gentle as he pushed Jim back into the bed when the man tried to sit up.

Jim blinked blearily, and focused on the man in front of him. "Wha-?"

McCoy rolled his eyes and stepped back. "You jumped in front of a damn gun, Jim. Do you have any idea how bad it could have been? You're damn lucky the bullet missed anything vital."

Carol stepped in before the doctor could continue venting. "But you saved Chief Garazha's life, and further cemented this new positive relationship with the Klingon Empire," she added, giving McCoy a stern look. "We all wish you had a better sense of self-preservation, but then you wouldn't be the man we all love. So let's just be thankful things worked out the way they did?"

Jim focused on her and smiled softly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, but Carol shook her head immediately, dismissing the notion that he had anything to apologize for. Jim turned back to McCoy. "What happened after the shots were fired?" he asked curiously.

McCoy huffed. "Can't you take some time to rest before you start demanding to jump back in the thick of things?" he asked irritably, knowing even as he spoke that this was just who Jim was.

"Unfortunately we don't necessarily have that time," Jon's voice spoke from the doorway, interrupting them.

The Admiral entered the room, smiling at Jim, relieved. Behind him, Commodore Paris was there as well, and Admiral Nogura brought up the rear.

McCoy almost growled in annoyance. "He literally just woke up."

Jon gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Doctor. If it makes you feel any better, this isn't an interrogation or a debrief. We just need to go over some details of what's going to happen next. It won't take too long, we need to be at the farewell dinner in an hour."

McCoy didn't look happy, but he didn't argue. He and Carol left the room quietly, so that Jim could be alone with the trio of superiors.

Jon immediately relaxed into the chair Carol had vacated. "I know you'll probably hear this a few times, Jim, but thank you for what you did. If Garazha had been shot it could have been the end to any peace treaties with the Klingons, now or in the future. I know they want to stop by to offer their gratitude."

Jim knew that if Garazha had taken that bullet it would have been worse than just no more peace treaties – they could have found themselves looking at a very bloody and brutal war. Jon just didn't want to acknowledge how close they had come, so the Captain shook his head slightly, stopping quickly when it began to pound. "I know I was kind of out of it, but I'm pretty sure he already thanked me."

Jon shrugged. "Yes, but he wants to do it in a more official capacity. We've also talked with the Klingon Council, and they want to thank you as well."

The Council was made up of all of the Clan Chiefs, who had been contacted immediately once things had settled down the day before. Jon had been grateful to be included in the call Garazha had made, and both he and the Klingons at Yorktown had been full of praise for Jim's warning and actions.

"The only thing I want to clarify is how you knew of the attack," Nogura said drily. "It's not an inquiry," he added when Jon glared at him, "but there were lots of people on that stage and I know I didn't see anything."

Jim sighed and picked at his blanket wearily. "There was movement in the shadows," he explained. "It caught my attention, and then I saw a flash. I knew Security wasn't letting anyone loiter in that hallway leading to the door, so it didn't make sense for anyone to be there." He shifted slightly and then grimaced as the movement sent a wave of pain through his injured shoulder. "I reacted on instinct."

"Well the Federation is truly indebted to you, and I know I am grateful for your instincts," Paris said simply.

Jon and Nogura nodded in agreement, and Jim smiled tiredly.

With that out of the way, Jon let him know what would happen next. "I wish you could be at the dinner tonight, but I doubt that doctor of yours would even consider it." Jim rolled his eyes, and Jon chuckled softly. "Most attendees are leaving tomorrow. We already talked about getting your crew back to Earth, and the  _Endeavor_ and the  _Intrepid_  will be leaving in two days, taking the majority of your crew with them. They will head straight back to Earth where your crew will depart. We've authorized two weeks of leave for them before they will report to temporary assignments on Earth while the new  _Enterprise_  is completed. The rest of your crew, including your command crew – minus Chief Engineer Scott who has demanded to get back to Earth to make sure the team doesn't screw up his ship – his words," Jon added when Jim gave him a skeptical look. Jim shook his head in amusement. "Anyway, you will all stay here a little longer. The  _Parks_  will take you all back to Earth soon, but they need to make a stop first." Jon sighed. "Shay and Chris are heading out with their crew tomorrow to do a sweep of the planet you crashed on. They're going to harvest the  _Enterprise_  remains and clear out the logs. You did a wipe before you abandoned ship, but there are still things on that vessel that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands."

Jim understood that completely. Edison had almost killed everyone on Yorktown because of a weapon he had stolen from the  _Enterprise_.

Jon cleared his throat and then continued, "They're planning to be gone a week, and they'll be back here one more week before you'll all head back to Earth."

Jim nodded in agreement. "Works for me. When are the Klingons leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Nogura said. "They were planning to stay a few more days, but the Council wants them back immediately."

Jim could see their desire to get their representatives back to safety as soon as possible.

"We'll let you get some rest," Jon stood up and rejoined the other two. "Remember to listen to your doctors, Jim. No escapes!"

Jim rolled his eyes but didn't contradict the Admiral as they all tried – and failed – to hide their smiles.

"It would be so much better if he could attend tonight," Nogura commented as they nodded to Carol on their way out of the hospital. The woman immediately jumped up and headed back in the direction of Jim's room.

Jon shrugged. "Look at it this way, he won't be there to complain when we announce the commendation he's getting for this."

Nogura snorted. Jon and Richard may be closer to Jim, but they were all aware of his propensity for avoiding the spotlight whenever possible. Which was really contradictory, considering how many universe-saving actions he had taken over the years. "Fair enough," he replied, and the trio fell silent as they rushed back to make sure they arrived at the dinner on time.

**XXX**

Jim was released from the hospital two days later, after the  _Parks_  had left but before most of his crew had boarded the  _Endeavor_  and the  _Intrepid_. He was still sore, and McCoy had demanded he keep his arm in a sling for at least two more days to avoid aggravating the recently healed bone, but he was free to leave the hospital so Jim didn't protest the order.

Jim had received multiple visits before being released, most notably from the Klingons who had all offered their gratitude once more before they departed Yorktown and headed back to Klingon space.

Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab all stopped by, as did all of Jim's command crew and a good percentage of the crew members from the  _Enterprise_. April brought Joanna by a few times, Kevin sometimes joining them. He had been watching Joanna often as her parents were busy helping out at the hospital. Most of those who had been injured were released before Jim, but one or two had to stay longer.

All in all, there had been approximately fifty injured, with a dozen of those being serious enough that the doctors hadn't been sure they would make it. Two were still uncertain, but the rest had been moved out of the danger category. Three had died.

It could have been much worse, and it was nothing short of a miracle that they had managed to salvage the talks and could count them as a success. All the delegates leaving for their home worlds were happy and safe in the knowledge that relations between them and the Federation were strong.

There were only a few Starfleet ships left at Yorktown by the time Jim was released from the hospital, and unfortunately for him, the  _Antilles_  was one of them. Their departure date was a week after the talks ended, so they would still be at the station for a few more days.

Jim and Carol had just exited the communications building after a long call with Sam and his girlfriend Aurelan when they had the misfortune of running into the one person Jim was most loathe to see.

Sam had not taken Jim's injury well, and it had taken a few minutes to reassure his brother that he was fine and wouldn't even have a scar to show for the experience. It probably hadn't helped that his arm was still in a sling at that point.

Both were happy that Jim would soon be back on Earth though – Sam couldn't wait to see his brother again, and Aurelan, who had been dating Sam for several months now, couldn't wait to meet her boyfriend's brother in person. Both were also looking forward to meeting Sam's future sister-in-law, and they had all tentatively discussed the idea of having a wedding on Earth in the next few months before the new  _Enterprise_  was finished and they shipped back out.

Jim and Carol were heading to the main control room to talk with Jon and Richard about making sure the guests they wanted at their wedding – namely Chris and Shay – could be on Earth when it happened, when they were distracted by someone calling Jim's name.

Jim stiffened immediately when he saw Winona rushing towards him. Only Carol's grip on his uninjured arm kept him from running, though if he had looked at his fiancée, he would have seen her own desire to be anywhere else.

Commander Winona Kirk came to a stop in front of the son she hadn't seen in years. She had heard all about his exploits of course, Captain Jim Kirk was the golden boy of Starfleet, and it was always embarrassing whenever people assumed she was up to date on his most recent adventures. She usually had to nod and smile along and act like she knew what they were talking about. When neither Jim nor the woman with him – Lieutenant Carol Wallace, Winona recognized Jim's girlfriend as their relationship had been splashed across the media after Admiral Marcus' treason – acknowledged her presence, Winona forced herself to make the first move. She was, after all, the parent, and she figured it should be her responsibility to do so.

"Congratulations Jim. Attaining peace with the Klingons is an historical achievement. I'm so proud of you."

Jim's gaze immediately narrowed, and Carol's grip was cautioning now, warning him silently not to do anything that might draw undo attention. Jim noticed her hand tightening, and he glanced over at her. She raised an eyebrow, and he sighed in acknowledgement before turning back to the woman who shared his DNA. "I don't need your praise," he said softly, but there was no anger in his voice, just a quiet acceptance. "I haven't for a long time now. I have my own family to offer me all the support and pride I could ever want."

Winona flinched at the statement that Jim didn't think of her as family. She knew she had made mistakes over the years, but she was still his mother. Wasn't she? She opened her mouth, to offer an apology or empty platitudes, she wasn't sure; but Jim started speaking again, and she was forced to listen.

Jim considered walking away and leaving her to stew in the knowledge that he didn't consider her family, but there was more he wanted to say to her, and he knew this would be his only chance. Once he turned his back, he would never see her again. "I finally know why my father left me the way he did. I get why he thought that my life and safety were more important than his. I hated him growing up, for leaving me with a mother and brother who resented my very presence, but I do get it now." He looked at Carol and smiled. His gaze drifted quickly down to her still flat abdomen, and then back up to her face. "Parents are supposed to do everything for their children."

He missed Winona's wince, still looking at his fiancée. When he turned back a moment later, his expression was hard and unyielding. "It's because I understand my father more now than ever before, that I know I will never understand your own actions. How you could completely shut yourself off from your children, how you could be so desperate to get away that you would have left them with anyone no matter the warning signs you should have clearly seen that that person wasn't suitable. Frank barely waited a day before starting on Sam, and I wasn't too far behind." Jim took a deep, stabilizing breath, and seemed to draw strength from Carol's steady presence at his side. "And I will never get how you could blame your own child for your husband's death. Good bye Winona, I have no intention of ever seeing or speaking to you again."

He turned around and walked away, tearing his hand from Carol's grip. She watched him leave for a moment, before turning back to see Winona still standing there, tears running down her face. "I don't know why you expected anything different," she said, unmoved. "The last words you had for him were to tell him how good his abusive stepfather was to him. For the longest time I hated you."

Winona jerked, surprised. "How dare –"

Carol rolled her eyes. "Don't act like the injured party here," she cut the older woman off. "You made your own choices. You signed away your rights to be his mother when he was twelve, and you never even thought about getting them back after your sister died, did you?" By Winona's guilty look, Carol knew she was right. "You come to him now, and expect him to just forget everything you've put him through? It was hard enough for him to let his brother back into his life, and Jim actually  _understood_  Sam's actions back then. You need to accept Jim's decision here, or I will go over your head." Carol's smile was neither reassuring nor friendly. "Jim and I have very powerful friends. As a matter of fact, we were just on our way to go see Jon about marrying us once we return to Earth."

Winona's stomach clenched painfully. She knew exactly who Carol was talking about. She may have been in Starfleet longer than either of them had been alive, but she couldn't claim to be on a first name basis with any Admirals, not even Barnett who had been one of George's best friends.

Carol smirked internally. She didn't usually call Archer by his first name, since she wasn't as close to him as Jim, but it had been a calculated move, to show Winona that she was serious. "Jim's right, Commander Kirk. We will never understand how you could throw your child away like that." She curled one hand protectively around her abdomen, and had the satisfaction of watching Winona's eyes widen as they drifted in that direction. "This?" She waited until the older woman's gaze lifted. "This is the best gift Jim could ever give me. I'd like to think that if one of his heroic actions put me in your unfortunate position, I would remember that this child is the best part of him, and love that little boy or girl all the more for it. I don't know how I would go on without Jim as a constant presence in my life, but I would never blame an innocent baby because the love of my life was too self-sacrificing for his own good. He must have gotten that from his father." Or maybe it was because his mother had raised him to believe that his life held no worth. Carol didn't say it out loud, but she knew that probably had played some factor in making him the way he was.

The older woman was still speechless when Carol gave her one final nod, and then hurried to catch up with her fiancé.

Winona was left to head back to the  _Antilles_ , alone and depressed and no longer in the mood to enjoy her shore leave.

**XXX**

Carol caught up with Jim quickly, and was surprised but pleased to see that he didn't appear to be any worse for the wear. "I gave up on having a mother when I was five," he explained with a shrug. "When I saw her at Frank's funeral I told her I was done trying. Now I'm just done. I meant it, I have no intention of seeing her ever again."

Carol smiled sadly. She wished it could be different, but she knew that this was what Jim needed, and she was proud of him for putting himself first, for not trying to let Winona back in to keep the peace, so to speak. To be perfectly honest she was glad that she wouldn't have to try and make nice with the woman who had abandoned her own son and treated him so horribly.

With that matter put aside, the rest of their time on Yorktown seemed to pass quickly.

Jim and Jayla were called into a meeting a few days after the  _Parks_  returned from their salvage mission, to discuss the young woman's future. After everything Jayla had been through, neither one would have blamed her if she headed off for the furthest corner of the universe and disappeared. But Jayla had seen so much since Scotty and his friends had stumbled across her on that planet. She had sat with the Engineer before he had left for Earth, and asked him about Starfleet. He waxed poetic about the fun and the opportunities, and how Jim let him experiment as much as he wanted as long as he didn't blow up the ship. But once he had calmed down, he told Jayla more about how they were a peacekeeping organization whose main goal, as these talks on this space station had shown, was to connect all the different races in the universe.

"It's about celebrating our differences," Scotty had said simply, shrugging as if that was the only explanation needed.

As Jayla met with this man – Admiral Archer, Jim had explained, one of the highest ranking officers in Starfleet – she thought that Scotty may have been right.

It was for that reason that she asked how to join Starfleet, which surprised both men in the room, she noted with amusement.

They got over it quickly however, and plans were made to send her back to Earth with the rest of the  _Enterprise_ crew; she would work with Archer and a few others at the Academy for a few months to determine her skill set and levels, and which Track she should pursue. They had a little under six months before the new class would begin at the Academy, and assuming Jayla passed the entrance exams – which they would work as hard as necessary to make sure happened – she would be one of them.

A few more days passed peacefully, and soon enough the  _Parks_  was departing from Yorktown, with all of its crew along with the rest of Jim's, Admirals Archer and Nogura – Richard had already returned to Earth with the  _Endeavor_  – and Jayla.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! Thanks everyone for sticking with me for so long. At this time I don't have any plans for another sequel, but never say never. 

THREE MONTHS LATER

Jim had honestly expected to be a nervous wreck today.

The last few months had been routine, and more than a little boring. Once he had returned to Earth, he and the rest of his command crew had taken up teaching positions at the Academy. As the days passed, it was beginning to look like their total time dirtside would be closer to nine or ten months most likely, rather than the six months Archer had originally predicted. This was mostly due to Scotty's need to continually question the design team over every little detail and then argue that they needed to upgrade everything even further.

Almost as soon as Jim had returned to Earth, he had walked right into a shouting match between Scotty and the team – the Engineer called it a brainstorm session, but it was a few decibels too high for Jim to completely buy that – and then presented Jim with a whole new set of plans for several departments. This had necessitated Jim to go back to the design team on his Chief Engineer's behalf, apologizing and asking if they could rework certain sections. As a result, the planning stage had been drawn out longer than expected, which meant their time on Earth would need to be extended by a few months.

It worked out for Jim though, because it would mean that Carol would give birth to their daughter before they shipped out. Her mother had been ecstatic to know that she would be able to be there to see her granddaughter as a baby. Due to the extremely extended leave, the Admiralty had made the decision to have all  _Enterprise_  crew re-up for a full five year mission or retire before they left Earth again, rather than have them complete their previous mission and return to Earth again after just eighteen months.

No one had objected, and all crew members would leave their current temporary assignments a full four weeks before their scheduled departure, to allow for a proper shore leave and give them time to prepare for another five years in space. No one had opted to retire. Jon had confided in Jim that that always surprised the Admiralty, after every universe-saving mission the  _Enterprise_  undertook – they always expected at least a few officers to decide that enough was enough. Jim just shrugged and said his crew was used to it by now. This was just another day at the office.

Jim had been splitting his time between teaching three senior level courses at the Academy and working with Scotty and the design team on their new ship. In between that, he was also coordinating with Carol and Jon to plan and organize their wedding. It was going to be a simple ceremony, but Jim had a few guests he wanted to attend who didn't live on Earth, so Jon was helping get them transport to the planet.

So the first three months of their time on Earth passed relatively easily, other than being bored out of his mind staying in one place for so long. The day of the wedding, Jim really thought he was supposed to be more anxious. Weren't grooms supposed to be nervous? McCoy definitely seemed thrown off by how calm Jim was, as they got ready together in Jim and Carol's apartment – the girls had taken over Spock and Uhura's rooms.

Jim had asked Spock, McCoy, and Cory to be his groomsmen, while Carol was having April, Uhura, and Joanna stand with her. Spock and Uhura were officially engaged now, with a human wedding ceremony set to take place a few weeks before they were scheduled to depart from Earth, and a Vulcan bonding ceremony in the works for shortly after, when they stopped at New Vulcan to deliver some supplies on their way out of chartered space. Spock had apparently taken McCoy's advice to heart, and Uhura was thrilled to be able to celebrate both cultures. She was looking forward to finally marrying the man she had been in love since her second year at the Academy.

The rest of the guest list was small, and included Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, and Kevin from the  _Enterprise_ , along with Jayla, Jon, Richard, Chris, Shay, and all of Jim's kids from Tarsus. Even Jenny and Diana, who were both serving on separate ships in Starfleet had gotten leave to come back to Earth for the wedding, which Jon definitely had something to do with.

Sha'al had come from Andoria. Carol's mother was there, and Sam and Aurelan had come out from Texas. Jim was grateful that his brother understood why he hadn't asked him to be a groomsman; their relationship was better than it had ever been, but Jim had other brothers now too, and they had been in his life far more than Sam had over the years.

Cory had brought Amanda, now sporting a sparkly engagement ring of her own as they were in the process of planning their own wedding. They had really stepped up the planning once Jim had returned, since they were now on a deadline and would need to hold the ceremony before the  _Enterprise_  was complete – Cory couldn't imagine not having Jim be his best man.

"Are you sure you haven't taken anything?" McCoy asked, drawing Jim out of his thoughts.

The Captain looked up from his position on the couch, and raised a confused eyebrow at McCoy who was standing over him with his dress uniform mostly straight, though a few buttons were still undone. "What?"

McCoy rolled his eyes, and Spock glanced up from his own spot by the far wall where he was straightening the commendations pinned to his chest under Cory's scrutinizing stare.

"You're way too calm for this. I was a nervous wreck with Jocelyn, and not much better with April. You're not only getting married, you've got a kid on the way. How the hell are you this calm?!"

Jim shrugged, and glanced around at the other occupants of the room. "I love Carol," he said simply. "I mean, honestly I haven't really thought much about the ceremony itself. So much else going on that it just doesn't seem like that big a deal. Nothing's really going to change between us."

McCoy sat down next to his friend with a huff. "Just don't forget to say 'I do'," he grinned, and dodged the light slap Jim aimed at his shoulder.

"I believe it is time to depart if we wish to arrive at the venue on time," Spock interrupted them.

Jim quickly stood up and straightened his uniform, making sure his own commendations were correctly pinned, then leveled a glare at McCoy's still undone buttons. The doctor growled and corrected the issue with a groan, before the group exited the apartment. They were holding the ceremony at Golden Gate Park and had rented out a nearby restaurant for the reception afterwards, so the four men climbed into a transport to head off campus.

**XXX**

Jim waited eagerly with Jon and McCoy at the front of the short aisle, and watched as Joanna and Cory walked towards them, followed shortly by Spock and April. Uhura as the maid of honor followed them on her own, and then everyone turned and stood up for Carol's entrance.

Carol had debated for a while on whether she wanted someone to walk her down the aisle. She could make a case for having her mother do it, or asking Chris to stand in. But she was also a fiercely independent woman, and there was another part that balked at the whole tradition of being given away by anyone.

Jim had told her it was entirely her choice, so Carol decided in the end that she was the one who had chosen Jim, so she would walk down that aisle towards her future husband alone. Her mother, though disappointed, accepted this decision and sat in the front row next to Chris.

As soon as he caught sight of his soon-to-be wife, Jim almost forgot to breathe. McCoy had to elbow him sharply before he remembered that he needed oxygen.

Carol had opted to wear a wedding dress, partly because though she didn't agree with all of the antiquated traditions she knew her mother wanted to see her in a white dress, but also because the Starfleet dress uniform really wasn't flattering when one was four months pregnant. Her dress had long sheer lace sleeves, a deep v-neck, and lace over white satin that cut off at the knees. The seam tied the dress in under her bust, and flowed down from there to account for her ever growing belly. In her hands she carried a bouquet of lilies.

Carol offered a radiant smile to Jim as she joined him in front of Jon, passing her bouquet to Uhura to hold, while all the guests sat back down.

Jim had asked Jon to be conscious of the two pregnant women in the group. He didn't want Carol to be standing up for too long, and Shay, now seven months along, had been placed on partial bedrest by her doctor after experiencing early contractions a week ago. She was allowed to be up and moving, but not too much and would probably have to cut the reception short.

So Jon didn't waste too much time introducing the couple they all knew very well by this point, jumping right into the reason they were all there, and leading the couple through their vows.

Soon enough, he was announcing them man and wife, and Jim leaned forward eagerly to kiss Carol for the first time as her husband.

When they pulled apart, they continued to hold each other's gazes for a long moment, hands clasped tightly and both smiling widely.

The moment was broken when McCoy prodded Jim's back expectantly, and they reluctantly broke apart to accept congratulations from their guests, before they all piled into the various transports that everyone had taken to get to the park, and headed for the restaurant that would hold the reception.

**XXX**

The reception was just like the ceremony, very low key. They had rented out the entire space, and had an open bar in addition to a buffet dinner.

Neither Jim nor Carol wanted anything fancy, and vehemently denied anyone the opportunity to give any official speeches.

Shay and Chris, as expected, bowed out early in the evening. Shay promised Jim that Chris would be back once he took her home, though the Admiral didn't look happy about it – not that he didn't want to enjoy the evening with Jim and Carol, he just didn't like leaving his wife alone. Shay was adamant though, and Chris did reappear an hour after he had left.

The night was winding down when Jim found himself seated by the bar with Chris, watching as his wife laughed at something April was saying. She was in the middle of a group of about a dozen people, all listening to whatever story April was sharing – Jim would place good money on it involving him, if the looks the group kept throwing him were any indication.

"So does it feel any different?" Chris drew the Captain's attention, and Jim turned back to the Admiral.

He let out a soft huff of laughter as he took a swig of beer, and set the bottle down as he contemplated. "Honestly? Not really," he admitted. "I mean, I told Bones as much this afternoon, that it wouldn't really change anything, but I guess on some level I did expect to feel at least a little different than I did yesterday."

Chris laughed lightly and shrugged. "I know what you mean," he admitted. "My wedding got a little overshadowed by that attack in London, and then everything that happened afterwards, but I kept waiting for something to feel different. But then, Shay and I had been living together and acting like a married couple for a couple of decades before that, so it makes sense that it wouldn't really change anything. You and Carol have been living together for years, there's not much that's going to be different after today."

Jim nodded. "It's just a piece of paper, right?"

Chris snorted and raised his beer bottle in a mock salute. "To making it official," he toasted, and took a long drink.

Jim looked back at his wife just in time to see Carol turn to him and smile. Her whole face lit up in joy, and Jim couldn't help but grin in return.

"Honestly the whole husband/wife thing has been secondary to me," he admitted quietly, turning back around and focusing on the beer bottle in his hands. The Admiral raised an eyebrow in silent question, and Jim shrugged, still not looking at him. "I'm thrilled to be married to Carol. What's been freaking me out is the whole what comes next thing."

"Being a father," Chris surmised. It wasn't hard, he was pretty terrified of that concept himself.

Jim nodded, embarrassed. "I mean, it's not like I had a great role model growing up. Don't get me wrong, you were pretty great when I was a teenager," he furrowed his brow, "though I'm not entirely sure 'I've got a spare room if you ever need it' is a great way to handle my own kid."

Chris shook his head, amused. "Jim, I think of you like a son, and I'm thrilled to have been a part of your life for so long, but when I met you, you didn't really need a father. You needed a safe place to crash when you weren't wandering the universe, and someone to check in on you every now and then to make sure you hadn't lost yourself in solving some unsolvable theory or inventing a new method of space travel –"

"Didn't I kind of do that?" Jim cut in, smiling slightly.

Chris rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

Jim sobered and nodded minutely. Chris was right. He hadn't needed the man to be a father, no matter that he saw him in that role anyway. He hadn't needed someone to set boundaries or curfews, to go to for approval or help with homework. Which brought him back to his original fear. "How the hell am I supposed to do this?" he asked almost desperately. "I've got no experience to draw on here. Even with Joanna, I could just hand her back to Bones and he made all the decisions. All I can do is try not to screw it up too badly."

"Well that's a stupid way to approach things," McCoy's voice cut in abruptly, and both men looked over in surprise to see the doctor sitting on Jim's other side with his own beer in hand.

McCoy had taken Joanna back to their apartment a little while earlier – even though she was nearing fifteen, midnight was still entirely too late for her to be out in his mind. He had returned just in time to catch Jim's fears being laid out to the Admiral.

McCoy sighed and set his beer down, turning in his seat so he could look at Jim head-on. "You're going to screw up, Jim. It's part of being a parent. You're going to make mistakes and mess things up good from time to time, but it won't be the end of the world."

Jim frowned. "So how do I do this then?"

McCoy paused for a moment, considering. Finally, he replied, "It's not that complicated when you think about it. When the kid cries, give her a hug. When she hurts, you give her a hug. When she's scared, tell her she's safe. When she's mad, make sure she can find you when she's not mad anymore. When she does good, you tell her you're proud of her, when she screws up make sure she knows everything's going to be OK. When she makes you happy, you tell her you love her; when she makes you angry, you tell her you'll always love her."

Jim considered his friend's words. "That doesn't sound so hard," he acknowledged.

McCoy immediately snorted and shook his head. "It is hard. It's one of the hardest jobs you'll ever have." He took a swig of his beer. "Being Captain of the  _Enterprise_ 's got nothing on being a dad." He set his beer down once more, and shrugged. "Jim, there's only one secret to being a good parent: you just have to love your kid with everything you've got."

**XXX**

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Jim smiled softly down at his sleeping wife. Carol had every reason to be exhausted.

Twelve hours of labor, and all Jim could do was hold her hand and tell her he loved her.

He wished he could do more, but even with the drugs he knew Carol had been in pretty intense pain.

But looking down at the tiny bundle of joy in his arms, he knew it was all worth it. "Hey there," he whispered, captivated by every part of his daughter's face. "I'm your dad. I'm going to screw up so badly, but I'm also going to love you more than life itself."

"That's all she needs," Carol's voice was groggy, but when he looked at her he saw her smiling back at him. "And for the record, you're not going to screw up as badly as you seem to think. You know what not to do, so you're already doing better than many new parents."

Jim hadn't thought of it like that, but he liked the idea. They were silent for a few minutes, both watching their daughter, until Jim finally looked back up. "Are you feeling up to a call?"

Carol's smile widened, and she nodded. There was a PADD sitting on the table beside the bed, and Carol picked it up as Jim moved so that he was sitting next to her while she placed the call.

Chris must have been waiting for just this moment, because he picked up barely two seconds later. His anxious expression broke into a large grin as he took in the family on the screen. "She's beautiful," the Admiral said quickly, and then looked off screen, jerking his head to call someone over.

Jim beamed as Shay entered the screen with his three-month-old godson. "Hey Shay, Jamie."

"Oh Jim, Carol, she's gorgeous," Shay gushed, leaning forward as if she could get a better look that way.

"So, are you going to introduce us?" Chris asked impatiently. Jim had been very tight-lipped on what they were going to name their daughter, and he had been dying to know for months.

Jim and Carol shared a look, before Jim smiled and held his daughter closer. "Chris, Shay, I'd like you to meet our daughter: Christina Elizabeth Kirk."

Chris blinked, startled. And then his smile returned as he surreptitiously tried to keep a few tears from leaking out of his eyes and making their way down his cheek. "I love it," he whispered.

Jamie started to fuss, so Shay regretfully stood up, bouncing him gently. "I think someone's hungry," she apologized. "Congratulations you two, I can't wait to meet Christina in person."

They nodded their good byes, and Chris watched his wife and son head into the bedroom before he turned back to the screen. "I should probably go as well." He really didn't want to, but they were scheduled to make a First Contact the next day, and he needed to make sure he was fully briefed on the protocols for the new species. "Thank you so much for calling, and I'm truly honored."

Jim blushed slightly, but he wasn't embarrassed about naming his daughter after the only father figure he had in his life, one of the most influential people in his life in all actuality. He was proud to give his daughter this name, and Carol had loved it the moment he had suggested it.

Chris signed off shortly after that, leaving the new family alone once more. Jim and Carol returned their attention to their new daughter, watching her sleep in silence. They could have stayed like that forever, just watching her breathe. Jim didn't think he'd ever get tired of watching his daughter.

Carol leaned into his side contentedly. "We're both going to make mistakes, Jim," she said softly, recalling what he had been telling Chrissie when she had woken up. Jim looked at her, confused, but she kept her gaze focused on Chrissie. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing either, and I had two parents who were actually there and semi decent." She ignored the terrorist her father had turned out to be, as even without him her mother was still a pretty good example to live up to – a powerful independent woman who managed to have a full time career in a position of power at Starfleet while also raising a daughter to be an independent successful woman in her own right. "The whole idea of parenthood is that we stumble blindly along this path together and hope that we can figure the answers out before she realizes we have no clue."

Jim chuckled in amusement and nodded. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Sounds like a solid plan to me."

 


End file.
